Safe
by Antoinette95
Summary: Au- assuming that the heroes defeated Gaea and everyone is still alive. Percy, Nico, Jason, and Rachel must embark on a perilous journey, chasing an ancient foe that simply can't be destroyed. With trust, love, and life on the line, will they have the courage to pull through?
1. Rachel

_The winds and lightening twisted across the cloudless sky, dancing a furious tango. A deep rumble echoed through the Earth, a mournful lament that froze the bone to the marrow. The vast and dark seas beat against the weathered cliff, roaring in pain. Alone, each was frightening, yet together they sang in quiet harmony. Together there seemed to be a balance unseen by mortal eyes, a natural tune to the world. _

_Rachel Elizabeth Dare took in a deep breath, blinking the salt water from her eyes. She drew her robe tighter around her body, her flaming red hair whipping around her head wildly. Her piercing green eyes scanned the night for…well she wasn't sure what she was looking for. She wasn't even sure where she was, but she knew it was important and that she was safe. She took a cautious step forward, the warm sand squishing between her toes. It felt good and helped to calm her nerves. Her heart was dancing in her chest, but she couldn't place her anxiety. _

_She had come to accept that she was not a normal girl a long time ago. She wasn't a half-blood like her friends, but she wasn't completely mortal either. Somehow, Rachel had managed to harbor the spirit of Delphi within her own body, giving her the power of prophecy. She enjoyed it, the ability to be useful to Percy and the others, but these were the things she hated. Sometimes she felt so out of control of her body and mind; she hated not knowing what she was doing or where she was. Like now, she just had a feeling it was right, but that didn't make it any better. _

_She stopped at the edge of the beach and scanned the horizon. The waves calmed and gently lapped at her ankles. Rachel smiled, looking into the dark depths. She could see Percy smiling brightly up at her and then the image shifted, showing him deep in slumber. She felt her chest swell looking at him. While she didn't feel romantically for him, she still loved him in a protective sister kind of way. The boy had been through Hell, literally, and seldom found peaceful sleep. It pained her sometimes to see the circles under his eyes, but she knew better than to address them. _

_A flash of light caught her eye and Rachel tilted her head towards the sky. The winds had ceased some, though lightening still streaked across the clouds. She could see Jason, leaning against his headboard reading from an old book, his brows scrunched together in concentration. Her lips stretched wider than the Cheshire cat and she chuckled. The ex-Roman had been beating himself to try and "learn" to be "Greek" ever since defeating Gaea. His blonde hair hung loosely and unruly around his angular face. The light danced in his blue eyes, the shadows dancing across the planes of his well muscled chest. Rachel felt her cheeks flame in embarrassment. Jason was certainly handsome, a great temptation to any girl, but she knew in her gut there weren't any romantic feelings there. _

_She shook her head and turned away from the scene bashfully. She hated being able to see the demigods during their most private moments; it made her feel like a spy. She heard muttering behind her and turned slowly. The sand had begun to sink in, opening up into the Hades cabin. Her gut clenched. The darkness did nothing to obscure her vision of the sleeping boy. His obsidian black hair hung in his face; his chest rose and fell gently; his pale hands clenched the bed sheets tightly as if anchoring him to the world. His lips were muttering around a word, one she'd heard time and time again. "Percy…" he crooned softly. Rachel was accustomed to this particular scene, considering she tuned into it nightly. She hated to pry, but Percy had made her promise to watch over the quiet child of Hades, and she had complied. Nico Di Angelo kept to himself and appeared to recoil from affection, but she knew the truth-she always knew. The boy was scared to get close to anyone, especially Percy Jackson. His affections were strong, but he was scared of rejection. Percy was with Annabeth, but Rachel could see that what had once been there was gone. Whether Percy admitted it or not, he was attracted to Nico as well. She wasn't sure what to do, and honestly didn't want to interfere, but her instincts told her that the time was nearly at hand. _

_Rachel snapped to attention, her nerves on high alert. The sea had stilled as if frozen, the Earth was eerily silent, and not a cloud dotted the sky. The sand was still warm beneath her feet, but her skin felt as if she'd been standing naked on ice. Her heart hammered against her ribcage and she glanced around. Something was approaching quickly from the east. She squinted, trying to make out the form. As her visitor drew closer she realized it was a woman. Her alabaster skin was flawless and seemed to glow, giving it a slight bronze tint; her thick raven hair whipped around her as she glided across the sand towards her; her eyes danced between colors, never settling on one specific shade; her blood red lips were set in a small smirk. Rachel gulped, feeling the power wash over her._

"_Hecate." she whispered when the goddess paused before her. The woman's smiled only widened and took a quick bow._

"_Hello Rachel Dare. I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long." Her voice was as soft as velvet, yet sharp as daggers. It took all of her self control and then some not to turn and run. Hazel had described her ordeal with the goddess of magic and Rachel was not keen to experience one herself. But something bothered her about this meeting. The gods had never spoken to her or acknowledged her existence. Why was she here? _

_She startled and jumped when the witch gently cupped her cheek. Her flickering eyes bore into Rachel's. "I know you do not trust me," she whispered shrewdly, "but I am here to warn you. It is not a coincidence that you are here surrounded by the most powerful demigods alive. These are the sons of the strongest gods of Olympus. They have overcome a great enemy, but along the way they acquired even more deadly, ancient ones. They are in danger."_

_Rachel swallowed thickly, staring into the beautiful face. "In danger from whom? Why are you telling me this? The gods don't interfere." _

_Hecate smiled and dropped her hand. "Because dear child, if we had waited for the prophecy it would have been too late. At least now it will hasten and come to you. As for their enemy, I cannot tell you. Just be warned that the fates of these demigods are now in your hands. I am the goddess of choices, and you must make yours." _

_The goddess turned and began to walk away. Rachel panicked and reached out. She grasped her sleeve tightly in her fist. Hecate faced her, an elegant eyebrow raised. Rachel looked down, never feeling so small in all her life. "What choices are you talking about?" _

_Hecate tilted her head. "My dear, you already know. You have felt it clearly and I'm sure you understand. You can either choose to act or remain oblivious, but know this: one path can save them and the other will destroy them. A bond must be broken and another preserved. It's up to you how to proceed. Goodbye Rachel Elizabeth Dare." _

_Before she could respond, Hecate disappeared in a flash of light. Rachel gasped, her lungs expanding again. The sea, sky, and ground seemed to continue their harmonious song as if they had not been interrupted. She sunk to her knees and swallowed. Her chest suddenly felt heavy and tears leaked out of her eyes. She had never felt the magic of a god before, and it was too great for her to handle. She knew if had it not been for the spirit of Delphi residing within her, her mortal body would have withered away to nothing. Hecate was dangerous and had given her an ultimatum. She knew what had to be done. She just didn't know if she could do it. Oh gods what had she gotten in to?_

* * *

><p>Rachel's eyes snapped open. Outside the sun was just kissing the horizon, the world outside just waking. She looked at the clock and sighed heavily. It was only six in the morning and she knew she would not be sleeping anytime soon. Her head hurt, but Rachel knew that was just the aftermath of a stressful dream. A good jog and light breakfast would help her.<p>

She slipped out of her bed and changed into loose fitting jogging pants and her orange camp half-blood t-shirt. She slipped into her sneakers and brushed her hair up into a ponytail. She paused to gaze at herself in the mirror. She had changed in the few years since she'd met Percy Jackson. Her face had lost some of its roundness, her cheekbones more definite. Her lips were fuller and more pink, her eyes more intelligent and striking. Her body certainly had more curves, and her hair fell to her waist. She was more woman now than a young girl. Rachel sighed and turned away from the mirror. She had never been just a girl.

She slipped out of her room and padded quietly down the stairs. Her quarters were set away from the other campers, much to her annoyance. Chiron assured her it was just protocol and for her protection. She wasn't a half-blood and it would be dangerous for her to be caught in their mischief. It bothered her more than she let on. She was not a fragile piece of glass to be kept hidden and observed. She was human and wanted to touch and feel like her friends. It was bad enough when her own father tried to shelter her from the world, she didn't need Chiron to do the same.

A few campers were out and about, but the camp was mostly quiet. Rachel waved to a group from the Ares cabin. They offered small grins and waved before continuing their quarrel. The campers went out their way to be kind to her, even if they would squabble with each other. Rachel wasn't sure if it was because of her mortality or that Delphi lived inside of her. Percy had once joked that it was because she had good aim with hairbrushes and they were terrified of her accuracy. He'd received a punch for that. She honestly didn't care why, as long as they were kind. It was hard being the outsider, the freak.

She started off at a leisurely pace, pushing only just enough to feel the burn in her thighs. Rachel wasn't a health nut or anything, but she found peace in a morning run. It seemed to cleanse her body and mind in ways that nothing else could. For once she was able to divert her energy and nerves into something else besides prophecies that could possibly kill her friends. She sucked in a deep breath and pumped her arms slightly faster. A few more campers had awoken and began their daily chores or headed to breakfast. Some waved and called out to her, but none joined her. That was fine, it was better when she was alone.

The Athena cabin came into view. Annabeth stepped out, closing the door behind her. Her curly blonde hair was braided back into a sensible ponytail. She wore her camp shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Her storm gray eyes swept over her and she offered a small smile. Rachel returned the gesture and hurried along. As soon as she cleared the cabin her smile slipped away. Her thoughts returned to her dream, to what Hecate had said. Guilt pooled in her gut for what she must do. Her relationship with Annabeth was professional at best; they were far from being friends. She knew the blonde was still slightly jealous of her and was not pleased that the mortal was allowed to remain at camp, even though she'd gotten the guy. She saw the flash of annoyance in her eyes every time she was around them. Honestly, Rachel could do without the possessive teenage drama, but now she'd be right in the middle of it.

She paused to catch her breath and stretch. The sun had finally risen to the point where it cast warm rays over the camp. Raucous laughter swelled over the little valley from the pavilion. A girl, probably from Aphrodite cabin, shrieked in outrage. Rachel smiled at their antics. She could have told the poor thing that instead of watching out for Ares cabin she should have been watching Hermes. Oh well. More campers drifted by, some acknowledging her presence while others gave her a wide berth. She shrugged it off quite easily; some people didn't know how to handle someone as awesome as her.

Rachel wasn't worried about them however. Her sharp eyes landed on the three houses that had stood empty for years and years. The houses of the Big Three were now well kept and very much lived in. Jason stood just outside his door, running a hand through his blonde locks. Her cheeks heated as she recalled her embarrassing spying earlier. _Oh stop it, you didn't mean to_. He turned towards her and flashed his brilliant smile. She couldn't help but return it. _Damn him._ He approached and slung an arm over her shoulder.

"Hey Rach." He hugged her tightly until she pushed him off. She shot him a dark glare.

"I've told you at least 100 times not to call me that." She pouted slightly and began making her way towards the Hades cabin.

Jason laughed and jogged to catch up to her. "I only counted 99, but we'll go with whatever you say Ms. Eye-of-the-Future."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I think it must be broken because I swear I saw you getting licked to death by Ms. O'Leary."

"Harsh. Can I get a more dignified death?" he asked as they reached the door. He leaned against the wall, his blue eyes studying her.

She snorted and knocked on the door. "Doesn't work that way Blondie." She laughed at his scowl and knocked again.

From behind the door they could hear shuffling and banging before the door was thrown open. Nico stood there in only pajama pants and black slippers. He rubbed at his chocolate eyes blearily, while mumbling under his breath. Rachel couldn't help but admire his budding physique. Saving the world certainly had its perks. His pale chest had started to take on a more chiseled look, abs growing in perfectly. His face was losing much of its babyish roundness; his jaw looked firmer as well. His arms were nicely toned, and if he wasn't wearing pants Rachel was sure his legs would be too.

Jason nudged her in the side, his shit eating grin making her blush furiously. He waggled his eyebrows and she mentally cursed him into oblivion. Nico did not seem amused. "Any particular reason you dickheads are banging on my door this early?" They had to suppress a laugh. While the son of Hades was normally scary and formidable, he was adorable when he just woke up. To prove their point, he stretched and yawned before his lips pouted. He blinked up at them through his long black lashes.

"Dude it's time to head down for breakfast. Don't wanna hit sword fighting on an empty stomach do you?" Jason nodded towards the pavilion.

"Do I get to use you as a target?" he griped, smirking. Jason feigned hurt. The two began to bicker and Rachel tuned them out. She felt something flutter by her and she turned towards Percy's cabin. She frowned. He was normally awake before Annabeth, and he hadn't passed her on the trail. A knot formed in her gut and she took a hesitant step towards his cabin. Instantly her knees buckled and she found herself on her side gasping for breath. Cold hands grabbed her, and sluggish voices called her name. But all Rachel could see was a shadow slipping into the walls of Percy's cabin.

Jason pulled her into a sitting position and forced her to look at him. "Rachel what's wrong? Is it a prophecy?"

Nico was peering at her over Jason's shoulders, his eyes wide with fear and confusion. She looked directly at him and forced herself to speak. "Percy…"

* * *

><p><strong>Hey people! This isn't my first tango with fan fictions, but it is my first for Percy Jackson. I really hope you enjoy it. It will be a slow burn, but totally worth the read. Leave reviews and let me know what you think so I know whether or not to continue. :) <strong>


	2. Prophecy

"Percy…" she sputtered, clutching at her abdomen. Rachel groaned, but held Nico's panic stricken brown eyes. His pale hands grasped his stygian iron sword tightly. A shadow flickered across his face, but he hesitated to leave. Jason tensed and shot him a quick look before focusing on Rachel again. Nico drew his sword and headed towards the Poseidon cabin.

"Are you able to walk?" Jason asked tightly, his eyes following the younger teen. Rachel nodded and staggered to her feet. Her skin felt feverish and sweat was pooling on her brow. Her chest felt as if it was constricting and her head swam dangerously. Yet, despite her ailments, she was able to take a steady step forward, quickly following Nico.

There was power, a dark and foreboding aura radiating from Percy's cabin. It clung to the walls and seeped from under cracks in the windows and door. The cabin itself seemed to have been plunged in shadows, as if the sunlight could not penetrate it. Rachel was certain that was the result of whatever she saw entering his cabin. She swallowed thickly, the hairs on her neck standing on end. Looking beside her, she saw that Jason wasn't fairing too well either. His face was darker, eyes seemingly sunken in. The only one seemingly unaffected seemed to be Nico. The boy was almost there, his weapon at the ready.

Rachel grabbed Jason's hand tightly in hers, hastening to catch up. He squeezed her hand reassuringly and quickened his steps. As they drew nearer, it became harder to take each step, as if there was a barrier of some sort. In her head, she could here Hecate's voice, could see her shrewd smirk. _Come on Rachel Elizabeth Dare; show me what you've got. _She shivered, remembering the feel of the witch's power and how similar yet different it felt to this. Jason stopped suddenly and Rachel almost crashed into Nico's back.

Jason drew his sword and stepped lightly in front of her, shielding her from a foe she couldn't see. Before them was a dark veil. It rippled like water and seemed to be suspended from the sky itself. The fabric seemed to twitch, faces swimming in the little waves. Voices whispered and the longer she listened the clearer their words became. The high pitched tingling of crying children, the mournful sobs of women, the broken cries of men echoed around them. A chill settled, raising goose bumps on her arms. A thick cloud of mist snaked from under the great veil and across the grass towards them.

"What is this?" she squeaked. Rachel unconsciously clung to the back of Jason's shirt, eyeing the white fog.

Nico jumped as if awoken and pushed them back further. "Don't let it touch you!" His voice wavered with fear, his skin suddenly and impossibly paler than before. He stood between them and the mist, his sword raised.

Rachel felt herself trembling and sank to her knees. Nausea rolled through her stomach, her head swimming. She could feel that presence, that dark power, increasing rapidly. Jason dropped beside her, his face etched with worry. _I'm not the one you should be worried about. _"We have to hurry. Whatever is behind this is getting stronger, and I think I know how." Her voice sounded off, huskier and labored. Jason's eyes widened in understanding. He stood and faced Nico.

"How do we get through this?" he asked, stepping up beside the son of Hades. The demigod bit his lip, his brown eyes unsure.

"Hazel said that we could control the Mist, but I haven't learned how to do it. But this isn't normal Mist, it's a more dangerous variety." Nico stepped forward and immediately jumped back. The fog had wrapped around his leg, leaving behind tattered cloth. Rachel struggled to stand, feeling worse by the minute.

"There has to be another way through this." Her mind raced, going over the tons she'd learned in the past few years. This was some kind of monster, a shadow demon of some sort. How did one battle a creature like this? And one that could manipulate the mist to boot! _Can you not see through the Mist my dear? Are you not a manipulator yourself? _Hecate's velvety voice cooed in her ear. _You're not helping,_ Rachel snapped, _why not give me something useful?! _She watched helplessly as the boys struggled to approach without being touched. At this rate they wouldn't be in time to save Percy, and that power was beginning to sky rocket. She was surprised Nico couldn't feel his life slipping away. _Use the boy child. He is a manipulator of shadow and you the Mist. _

"Nico, you have to shadow travel!" she yelled without thinking. The boys stared at her confusedly. Rachel rolled her eyes and latched on to both of them. "C'mon we have to hurry. Transport us, what are you waiting for?!"

Nico's expression was unreadable, but she didn't care. Percy's life was in danger at the moment; he could deal with his authority issue later. Jason quickly stowed his sword away and tucked Rachel closer into his side, his arm wounding around her waist. They looked at the son of Hades expectantly. He nodded and closed his eyes. At first nothing happened, and then pitch black shadows rose from the ground and seemed to swallow them. Rachel squeaked, her vision torn from her. Her body felt weightless and fractured, her thoughts scattered. She could faintly feel Jason and Nico clutching on to her desperately, but she wasn't sure if it was real, if anything was real. Then just as suddenly as it began it ended.

Rachel greedily sucked in fresh air, her legs shaky. Nico and Jason seemed unperturbed by the trick, which left her seething. Lucky them, they'd endured it several times. They didn't waste any more time bursting into the cabin. Rachel couldn't suppress the scream of terror that tore from her throat. Percy was lying on his cot on his back. His eyes were closed and his skin was ghostly white. His chest wasn't moving, and if that were anything to go by, then Percy was already dead. The thought made her eyes sting, but that wasn't the terrifying part. A woman straddled his lap, leaning down over him as if to kiss him. Her skin was whiter than snow and dotted with black and purple bruises. Her slim shoulders were covered in what looked like dust, but it seemed more sinister and alive. She had a long curtain of greasy black hair that hid her face.

The woman wheeled around at Rachel's scream, hissing through her teeth. Rachel stumbled back, the power radiating from the woman almost debilitating. She wanted to turn away from the terrible thing that was killing her friend, but she couldn't. The demon's face was white as well, but her cheeks were bleeding profusely. Her eyes were blacker than the night and weeping with ghostlike tears. He bared her teeth menacingly and gripped Percy's throat tightly with a clawed hand.

"How dare you interfere?!" it hissed. Her weeping eyes swiveled between the three of them, but landed on Nico. The irises flashed in recognition, before melting into fury. "The pitiful brat of Hades coming to attack me? I will feed on your woes next!"

Nico raised his weapon, his eyes glinting dangerously. Rachel stepped back, fear clawing up her throat. The boy never looked more frightening than he did now. The ruler of the underworld would have been proud. "Get away from him." he whispered tightly. A shiver ran up her spine and the temperature dropped. Shadows were swirling around Nico, energy crackling in the air around him.

Several things happened at once. Nico stabbed the Earth, creating a chasm that seemed to stretch to the pits of Hell itself. Jason wrapped an arm around her waist and threw her as far away as possible. She crashed into a table, sending Percy's trinkets smashing to the ground. The creature leaped at Nico, her claws extended, liquid spewing from them. He dodged and rolled to the side. Jason raised his sword and swung. The blade should have sliced through her skin like paper, but it went through her. She wheeled on him and attacked, her eyes spilling over with tears. "This is not your fight boy, stay out of this!" she spat, shoving him against the wall.

"No, but it is mine." Nico materialized beside her, kicking the creature in the chest. She staggered backwards, but didn't hesitate to come at them again. Nico smirked evilly and snapped his lithe fingers together. Gnarled hands sprang up from the ground and grabbed onto the creature's ankles and legs. She shrieked and plummeted to the ground, writhing away from the undead. Nico turned to Rachel. "Get Percy out of here, hurry!"

She didn't move at first, staring wide eyed at the writhing creature. The undead seemed to latch on to any piece of her they could reach, their rotted fingers digging into her flesh. The woman gnashed her teeth and blood red flowers sprouted around her. The dead hissed and crumbled when touched. Rachel felt herself sinking into a dark hole the longer she gazed at the woman. It took all of her will power to stand to her feet and stagger to Percy.

Her hands flew to his neck and wrists, checking for any signs of life. She could feel her heart in her throat as she waited for something, any sign of the son of Poseidon. His pulse ticked faintly under her fingers and she calmed fractionally. Licking her lip nervously, Rachel leaned close to his face and tapped it gently. "Percy? C'mon Percy wake up." She shook him gently, but the boy remained unconscious. Her gut clenched and she tried again, calling out to him earnestly. He lay silent, although his pulse was getting stronger, but not quickly enough. "Percy wake up!"

Behind her something crashed and shook the cabin. She dared a glance over her shoulder and was relieved to see her friends panting over a pile of dust. Jason had a cut above his left eye and his shirt hung off his shoulders. Nico's bare chest was covered in tiny scratches and he was covered in sweat. The flowers were gone, as was the blanket of darkness. The chasm had closed, leaving the floor looking as natural as possible.

Nico rushed to her side and knelt beside Percy's head. His eyes were round with worry and uncertainty. "I can feel him now; he's alive." His voice was no louder than a whisper, but so much was laden into it. Rachel couldn't imagine how it must have felt for the son of Hades to be unable to feel his beloved. She watched him from the corner of her eye. His mask of indifference was gone, replaced by concern and a multitude of other emotions. He ran a hand over Percy's forehead, brushing away the hair that hung limply in his face. "He's ice cold." His voice broke slightly, but before Rachel could say anything Jason had grabbed her elbow and was dragging her away.

He pulled her off to a corner and barricaded her in with his arms. His blue eyes gazed into her green ones. "Are you okay?" he breathed. He searched her face and gave her body a courteous once over. Rachel flushed under his scrutiny and nodded. She felt perfectly fine in fact, as if she'd just completed her morning jog. Jason eyed her skeptically, but pulled away and turned back to Nico.

The son of Hades was focused only on Percy, as if willing him to wake up. It was a pitying sight to witness, but Rachel couldn't pity Nico. The kid had been through enough and was still fighting strong. That much was admirable. Jason placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump. Nico had Jason pinned beneath him so suddenly, Rachel wasn't sure she'd actually seen it happen. All the same, the blonde now had a wicked blade aimed at his throat, his hands raised in surrender. "Whoa, dude it's me, chill."

He climbed off of him almost as quickly, suddenly sheepish. His eyes were darting around, wild and slightly crazed. He stood protectively in front of Percy, his weapon still in hand. "Sorry, got a little trigger happy."

Percy groaned weakly and Nico was at his side at once. "We need to get him to Chiron immediately. C'mon, gab on to me." Rachel wasn't too keen on shadow traveling again, but the sooner Percy got help, the better. Jason held out his hand and she accepted. Nico cradled Percy against his chest, a feat considering the older demigod was slightly taller and bulkier. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

><p>Okay, so Rachel was certain that shadow traveling was the worst way to travel imaginable. It took her a good five minutes to remember that her legs were not made of jelly and stop her stomach from flipping. She blinked at the sudden appearance of the sun, her throat tight and dry. Jason's hand tightened around hers reassuringly before dropping. Rachel shook her head and took in their surroundings. When Nico suggested they go to Chiron she'd thought he meant the Big House, not the dining pavilion. Stunned and horrified faces greeted them. Rachel felt her face heat up.<p>

All at once several people jumped to their feet, dropping their food and screaming. Rachel stood between the onslaught of concerned and nosy campers and the boys. Looking over her shoulder she saw Jason and Nico both supporting Percy as Chiron approached. Various voices shouted at her, demanding to know "Why is Grace and Di Angelo holding up Jackson?" and "Why is Nico half naked?" and "Are you single?" She flipped off the guy from Hermes cabin that shouted the latter, but was quickly dragged away.

Piper, Leo, and Annabeth were all crowding her in, their faces worried. Annabeth's storm gray eyes were unreadable; Piper's hazel eyes were clouded with too many emotions; and Leo's chocolate brown eyes however were watching the retreating boys. Annabeth grabbed her shoulders tightly. "What happened to Percy?" she demanded. Her voice wavered and her eyes were shining with tears.

Piper gripped her elbow and tugged the girl away. "Annabeth you're hurting her. Can't you tell she's distraught? Something's happened." The daughter of Athena blinked, coming somewhat to her senses. She took a stuttering breath and leaned against Piper for support.

"What happened?" she asked weakly. She swallowed and looked at Rachel desperately. Rachel bit her lower lip. She wasn't sure what exactly had happened, and there were pieces she simply couldn't explain to a girl that relied on logic more than anything else. Somehow she knew that she could not reveal that a goddess had spoken to her in her dreams, but she also felt guilty. These were her friends, shouldn't they know the truth?

_Decisions my dear, which you must make. Just remember, everything that you do can affect the future of the quest. _Hecate whispered. Rachel wanted to curse the stupid witch into oblivion, but she was certain that it would only lead to her own punishment in the end. She knew in her gut not to say anything about it until she'd spoken to Chiron. "I'm sorry, but I have to talk to Chiron." She turned before they could stop her and ran to the Big House. By the time she got there the guys were already seated and she was hot and flustered. Chiron looked up at her and gestured to a seat.

"Miss. Dare, welcome. Why don't you tell us what happened?"

* * *

><p>Chiron was quiet and that worried her to no ends. The centaur was normally articulate and wise in times of crisis, but now he seemed troubled and stricken. His eyes were unreadable and every so often he mumbled something under his breath. Jason was watching Nico who sat across the room acting as if he were ignoring them. Someone had thought to give the kid a simple black t-shirt instead of letting him run around half naked anymore. After a few minutes of silence Chiron cleared his throat. Nico turned slightly, quirking an eyebrow.<p>

"It appears to me that we are dealing with forces far greater than that of the Giants or Gaea. The goddess that attacked you is even more ancient, which means that something is stirring in Tartarus. The fact that she was able to slip inside the borders without detection alludes that these forces are very powerful indeed. What's more disturbing is that Hecate approached you about this beforehand." His eyes swiveled to Rachel.

Nico's eyes hardened and he balled his hands into fists. "You knew this was going to happen?" he whispered accusingly. Rachel opened her mouth to protest, but Jason jumped to her defense.

"Of course she didn't. You heard what Hecate told her; there wasn't any indication that Percy would be attacked." Nico deflated and shot her an apologetic look. Chiron watched the brief exchange quietly with an unreadable expression before pressing on.

"Have you had this vision yet?" Again the attention fell to her and Rachel really just wanted to crawl into bed and start the morning over again. She shook her head and the centaur's frown deepened. "And you said you felt something brush past you before you realized Percy was in danger?" She nodded.

"I don't know how but…I could feel exactly when she attacked him. It was weird, unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. I felt her power from the minute she passed me."

Chiron stared out the window, his eyebrows creasing. "That is…unheard of in your particular case. I can't fathom why she would brush against you- for it was on purpose- and then proceed to attack. What was her purpose in alerting you to her attack? And why was she easily defeated? There are too many unknowns here, and it worries me."

Jason, Nico, and Rachel looked at each other, all wondering the same thing. Jason voiced their concerns. "What if it was a test?"

The centaur looked at him and seemed to age before their eyes. "I would sincerely hope not. If it was…we have much to prepare for."

They were all silent for a moment, the severity of the situation settling in. Rachel's head was beginning to throb again, and she wanted nothing more than to be sleeping in her cabin. She wasn't a demigod, wasn't used to this type of mind numbing chaos that seemed to follow them like a plague. But they were her friends and she knew that she had to stand by them. She just wished she understood why Hecate had chosen her in the first place.

Above them they could hear light footsteps and stumbling. Seconds later Percy rounded the corner, looking pale and disheveled but otherwise alright. His sleepy green eyes looked at all of them in confusion and he yawned, stretching widely. "Did we have a slumber party or something?" he grumbled, rubbing his eyes with a fist.

Rachel squealed in relief and launched herself at him. Luckily the boy had fast reflexes or they would have gone tumbling to the floor. He caught her mid air and hugged her back. Jason was grinning from ear to ear as she began to fuss over him, checking him for wounds that she knew would have been healed by now. Percy was blushing hotly, vainly attempting to bat her hands away. When she was satisfied that he was otherwise unharmed she stepped away to let him breath. Then it was Nico's turn.

The son of Hades' expression was unreadable, but Rachel could see the relief in his eyes. And after a moment they flared with anger. "Why the Hell are you out of bed Percy?"

Percy blinked in confusion before shrugging. "I feel fine Nico, there's no need to sit up there all-"

Nico cut him off with a glare. "Go get back in the infirmary until you're told to leave."

The older teen narrowed his eyes. "Why? You can't tell me what to do." He said stubbornly. He crossed his arms over his chest like a petulant child and even pouted a little. The two started to bicker hotly over the subject of Percy's health and Rachel settled back into the couch next to Jason. They watched the exchange with amusement. If only the two realized how the other felt. The two boys were practically nose to nose now, faces flushed and neither backing down. She swore they would be the death of her.

Rachel's stomach rumbled and she realized that she hadn't eaten anything all morning. She grinned sheepishly at Jason before standing. And that's when her world seemed to flip inside out. Suddenly she was not standing in her own body, but looking at herself standing in the middle of the floor like an idiot, eyes glowing a ghostly green. The guys gathered around her as a prophecy tumbled from her lips.

_Upon the trembling ground they roam, famine and disease the foundation of home. _

_The blood of Olympus has been spilt upon the iron throne, the king crowned with bones._

_Below the graves of the damned, wails the eternally tormented._

_Stand strong where the light cannot be seen and warmth cannot be found._

_On Hallows Eve the chosen three must divide or stand in unity. A bond to be broken, another preserved, to dispel Misery's wrath from the world. _

Rachel felt herself falling into a hole, and then everything went black.

* * *

><p><strong>Hi again! So I was slightly disappointed in the lack of reviews, but I will be detered from creating art! Anyway, like Rick Riordian I try to incorporate angst and humor into the story, so yes I believe it plausible for the characters to switch emotion easily. C'mon, they are teenagers. And yes this chapter was in Rachel's POV, but next chapter we'll switch it up. I just feel she was underdeveloped as a character, so I took creative liscence. Anyway, I'm rambling, so enjoy and review. Next chapter will be up soon! :)<strong>


	3. lost

The life of a demigod was never easy. There were seldom safe moments in their lives, the ever constant threat of being devoured by monsters hanging over their heads. It was harder to settle down and make attachments to people knowing that at any moment you might have to leave and never return. Several had to leave behind their families for good; others were able to visit occasionally. Peace was a foreign concept altogether, and if that wasn't a big enough kick to the balls, every now and again they had to willingly put themselves on the frontlines of danger. Essentially a demigod's chances of making it to adulthood were slim, not impossible mind you, just hard as hell. A child of the big three's chances were even worse considering it was sort of illegal for them to even be alive.

Nico had accepted this after years of fighting to see the next morning. It was never easy and it cost him and others a lot of pain and sacrifice. Sometimes he entertained the thought of simply giving up and letting the inevitable happen, but then Bianca's face swims into view and he dismisses the thought guiltily. She would scold him severely if she knew his darkest thoughts, probably kill him herself. It wasn't that he wanted to die exactly; he just wanted for once to be normal. He wanted to hang out at the mall and eat greasy foods. He wanted to laugh and crack stupid jokes over video games. He wanted to be able to love someone without fear that he'd lose them forever. But that wasn't his life, as evident by the semi conscious red head oracle he was supporting in his arms.

Nico carried the girl to the couch and gently laid her against the cushions. Her skin was ice cold, but her pulse and breathing was steady. He'd become attuned to Rachel's life force over the years, ever the pessimist. The others wouldn't understand, but he could never forget when her life had almost burned away. He had _felt _the fibers grounding her to the world of the living splintering, the chains of the dead snaking around her ankles and wrists. He'd felt Thanatos hovering, his long and pale fingers edging closer. Nico knew that eventually the girl would die, but until it was time he wanted to be prepared to save Rachel at any given moment. She was one of the few who was nice to him and wasn't afraid to go toe to toe with him in a battle of wits. She was one of few he considered his friend.

Nico frowned. _Friends…don't be stupid, you aren't like the others. You aren't one of them, Greek or Roman are you? _His mind supplied helpfully. True, he didn't seem to really fit in at either demigod camp and he wasn't like any of the others either. He wasn't brawny like Frank or resourceful like the girls or hot like Percy and Jason. He didn't smile very often and wasn't very social. He wasn't charismatic and tended to repel rather than attract people. How could he hope to feel belonged when they were all so different from him?

A hand touched between his shoulder and he tensed. He gripped the hilt of his sword in his hand and spun around, intent on slashing through whoever had the gall to touch him. He faltered, his breath suddenly frozen in his chest. Beautiful sea green eyes blinked at him from beneath long dark lashes. Thick, yet tamed eye brows scrunched together, full slightly pink lips turned down at the corners. But it was the eyes that had him struggling to breathe. Those damn eyes that held his dark brown ones, staring intensely into him. Those stupidly beautiful eyes that were full of concern and directed fully on him. Nico opened his mouth to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. He felt a blush creeping up his cheeks and wanted to run very far away before he embarrassed himself. Percy, however, seemed to notice he was uncomfortable with the proximity and drew away.

"She'll be okay Nico; you don't have to worry about Rachel. She's tougher than she looks and could probably kick all of our asses." He grinned crookedly. Nico rolled his eyes and shrugged. He knew she would be fine; she was used to this by now. Now he was mulling over what she had said.

Chiron, it seemed was on the same page. His face looked paler than a ghost's, his eyes clouded with conflicting emotions. He pawed the ground nervously with his hoof. "This is very troubling." He muttered to himself. He turned to the three demigods. Jason seemed unnerved by what had just happened, but he hid it well. The others would not have noticed, but that was why Nico was so different. He was quiet and always watching. He could read people like an open book, as if they were speaking directly to him. It helped him discern his associates- for they couldn't possibly be friends- from his enemies, and the latter pool seemed to be growing every day.

Percy tightened his hands into fists. His face was unreadable, but his eyes betrayed his emotions. Nico had always noticed the determination in those deep irises, the fierce loyalty, and the unyielding compassion. But in all the years that he had known him, he had never seen fear in Percy's eyes. They had faced down Kronos, countless monsters, immortal giants, and Gaea, and through it all Percy had kept everyone's morale high. He'd came back from Tartarus determined more than ever to align the demigods to win the war, his determination enough to carry them into battle. But even staring death in the face at every turn he never showed his fear. Now it was as clear as day in his green eyes. He was visibly shaking and his skin had gone pale.

It made Nico's gut churn to see the uncharacteristic state of his comrade, but there was little he could do. He was just as afraid. He forced himself to turn back to Chiron. "What does the prophecy mean? Has anything like this ever happened before?"

The centaur faced him with old, sad eyes. "I'm afraid not. There has never been an instant in all my years where the children of the Big Three would be forced to fight as one." He looked away, almost as if into another time. "I fear that we are dealing with forces far beyond our simple powers. I believe it best we consult with the gods immediately."

Nico bit his lip. He had never had a great relationship with his father, Hades, and the thought of calling upon him was nearly revolting. Hades, the lord of the underworld, was about as far from an affectionate father as one could get. He was quick to fury and seldom smiled. His loved to ridicule those around him, hit sharp wit giving him the ability to easily chip away at people's armor. Nico had been on the receiving end of that many times and did not wish to repeat the experience.

Jason seemed to notice his discomfort and gently nudged his ribcage. Nico shot him a dark look, but the blonde was focused on Chiron instead. "How do we know the gods will help us? We haven't heard from any of them since Gaea was defeated." It was another harsh truth. After they'd successfully put Gaea back to sleep the gods of Olympus had been silent. As far as anyone knew, Olympus was open but no one could get in. It was as if the gods were waiting for something. The fact that Hecate had decided to speak with them was disturbing. Hazel had described her experience with the witch and he wasn't too fond of her. But why speak with them at all? Why did she go after Rachel?

To that the centaur smirked wryly. "I do not know if they will help us or not. The gods tend to have their own agendas at times, and as you know cannot interfere in the lives of their children." He cast a pointed look at Percy who matched his gaze evenly. Everyone knew that Poseidon was known to worm his way around that rule to help his only son, but no one could really blame him in the long run.

Jason's frown deepened. "And if they agree to help us, what do we do? Something like this has never happened before, so we're kind of going in to this blind." They were fair points. It wasn't like they could go gallivanting across the U.S trying to spread peace and happiness. There had to be clues to direct them, something to give them a head start at least.

Chiron appraised them for a moment before dropping his eyes. The temperature in the room dropped, and Nico felt the shadows stir slightly. The demigods instinctively gravitated towards each other, their bodies coiled to spring into action. The centaur raised his head and met their eyes. His face hard darkened considerably, eyes full of deep sadness. His voice was husky when he spoke. "It is just a hunch, but I am almost certain that you won't have far to look." His voice broke at the last possible moment.

Nico gasped, a sound so soft and broken it almost went unheard. Almost. Percy and Jason eyed him curiously, but the child of Hades was staring directly into the camp director's eyes. The old man's eyes were filled with unyielding sympathy, regret, fear, and gut wrenching sadness. Nico felt his stomach fill with lead. His throat tightened, the edges of his vision blurring. He struggled to control his breathing, his body quaking. Strong , yet gentle hands gripped his shoulders and shook him, a voice lightly calling him. But he was too far gone, already feeling the darkness swallowing him. Clearly someone had dedicated themselves to making his life Hell, because there could be no force greater than that of a god to get him to go back there.

"Chiron where do you think we have to go?" he heard Jason ask tightly. The blonde seemed at a loss as to what to do.

"Tartarus…we have to go back to Tartarus." He heard himself whisper hoarsely.

* * *

><p>They had never spoken about what had happened to them in Tartarus, had never wanted to relive the horrors of that place. There was evil in the world, but it paled in comparison. Tartarus was the very essence of the word, only it was more magnified and potent. It had a way of creeping into your mind, twisting your view of reality. It had a way of latching on you and greedily sucking you dry of power and feeling. Time had no meaning, leaving a person wondering when the eternal Hell would end. Everything was frozen; even your blood seemed to chill. You weren't literally cold by any means, but the intense pressure of surrounding evil weighted a person down and raised every hair on their bodies.<p>

Nico remembered quite vividly entering for the first time. It had been like a punch to the gut, panic overwhelming him when he'd first stepped into the darkness and realized he could not see. It was alarming, to have his sight ripped away from him so suddenly. As a child of Hades he'd always been able to see in the dark. He felt exposed to have that little piece of him ripped away. But he'd choked it down and moved on, determined to fulfill his promise to find the doors of death, only to get captured and used as bait. He hadn't gotten far in to Tartarus, but he'd gone far enough to know that he couldn't wish that fate on his worst enemy.

Percy was different though. He'd made it to the very heart of Tartarus, had seen the ancient god himself. What he and Annabeth had endured while there was a mystery to the group, but no one dared to ask. They'd adamantly refused to speak of the horrors when they returned, insisting that they were fine, but it was a façade. Something had changed them down there; something had affected them in ways the others could only imagine. Nico saw it every time he allowed himself to look the older demigod in the eyes. Every now and again his eyes would milk over, remembering and he'd start sweating and shaking profusely. His throat would grow taught, his chest heaving desperately to draw in air. And then as soon as the memory came it would leave him fatigued and reclusive.

Annabeth was similar, but different. As Athena's favorite child and basically the go to leader of Camp Half-blood, people looked up to her naturally for guidance and support. She wasn't the nurturing type, more likely to beat someone up than kiss their scars and tell them it'd be better; but she was wise and helped how she could. She was brilliant and an expert strategist. Her smile was almost as gorgeous as she was, and that was without any make up. But that had changed. It was obvious to anyone that paid any attention that she'd lost considerable weight over the last few weeks, her skin stretching a tad too tight over her cheekbones. Her eyes had lost their captivating luster and depth that could swallow any male demigod whole. Now the gray depths were shallow and almost void of life. Her smiles were forced and practically dead. She kept more to herself and tended to avoid being the center of attention for any reason. Her thick blonde hair was starting to fall out as well, not that she'd ever acknowledge it. The only people she seemed to want to be close to was Piper and Hazel when she could drop by.

All three of them were connected in that way the other demigods couldn't and hopefully would never understand. One does not simply survive Tartarus without losing a part of themselves. Nico would admit to nearly losing his mind, but he'd lost something more, something he hoped no one would ever discover. Annabeth had lost her sense of security. All Percy had to say was that he'd done something down there that changed him forever. No matter who they had been before then, after escaping with their lives they were different people.

Nico thought about this as he swung his sword at the practice dummy. It thwacked against the straw filled sack, the only other sound in the practice arena apart from his labored breathing. Sweat glistened on his arms and neck, his obsidian black hair was plastered to his forehead. He took a shaky breath and swung again, stabbing an angle that would slice through an opponent's ribcage, lung, and heart simultaneously. Nico grimaced at the image of dark blood spilling over his sword onto his hands, seeping underneath his fingernails, dripping on the floor.

He stopped and stepped away, visibly shaking from the mental image. He couldn't rationalize even in his own mind how anyone could be mentally sane after being surrounded by so much death and destruction. He would have thought that by now he would be desensitized to it, but each time it was thrown in his face it nearly sent him to his knees. He'd not only witnessed death, but he himself had killed numerous monsters in only a few short years. Sure, they were evil and admittedly hell bent on killing him too, but that didn't erase the fact that a living thing had died by his hands.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply through his nose. He could feel the tears stinging at his eyes and gritted his teeth. He was weak, far too weak to be a hero. Nico felt his arm drop, his sword clattered to the ground but he didn't care. For once he just wanted to feel something other than pain and grief. He wanted so much to feel even an ounce of the blissful ignorance he'd had as a child, just an ounce. But that wasn't his life anymore. The creatures he'd once idolized were real, breathing, living bloodthirsty savages that killed simply because they could. He could have walked away all those years ago, but he hadn't and now he was here broken and lost.

The wooden floor creaked and Nico snapped back to reality. He spun around, already on the defensive, though he realized that he was unarmed. _Damn it._ Before he could attack however, Jason stepped into his line of view, hands raised in surrender. His eyes roamed over him once before he dropped his hands altogether. Nico straightened, donning the mask he'd so carefully constructed. _Why not let him know you're upset? He's an ally, he can help you. _If only it was that simple.

Nico picked up a towel and wiped it over his face and arms. Then he took a long drink of cold water, just to give himself something to do. Jason's eyes tracked him the whole time. It unnerved Nico sometimes how perceptive the blonde could be. He was always analyzing things, making plans, figuring things out. He'd found out Nico's biggest secret and had assumed responsibility of over analyzing anything the son of Hades did. It was frustrating but somewhat flattering that he cared enough to do it.

When it became obvious that he was just stalling for time Nico plopped across from him on the ground and gave him a bored stare. "And what do I owe this pleasant visit?" he drawled, plucking at a weed that had grown up through the floorboards.

Jason frowned slightly. "No one's seen you in a couple hours. I was just checking to see if you were alright."

Nico swallowed, not willing to admit how surprising and touching that was. "I'm hardly ever around camp anyway. Who in particular was looking for me?"

The light returned to Jason's eyes and that scared Nico shitless. The older teenager smirked and leaned forward. "You're right, only a specific camper was looking for you."

Nico narrowed his eyes, his gut tightening. "Grace I swear to god…"

"Annabeth." He blurted, his cheeks going red. Nico knew he wanted to laugh and he pictured stringing the blonde up and using him as a human piñata. But his answer did catch him off guard.

"Why does Annabeth want to see me?" He tried and failed to keep his voice from quivering but he couldn't help it. Annabeth was everything he wasn't: diplomatic, charismatic, tactful, a genius, hot, and a top notch fighter. And she had Percy, the one thing he wanted but couldn't have. She intimidated him to a certain level and he'd rather not be alone with her.

Jason shrugged like it amused him. "Why don't you ask her?" he said, gesturing behind him. Nico looked over his shoulder and there was the blonde in question. She looked absolutely stunning the way the sun hit her face, the rays bouncing off her hair. But she wasn't smiling, not frowning, but not smiling either. Jason stood and clapped him on the shoulder. "See you at dinner."

After the boy had left Annabeth hesitantly approached. She stopped a foot or so away, picking at the hem of her shirt nervously and biting her lip. It was so unlike the girl he'd come to know that it angered him slightly. "Just spit it out already." He snapped.

Her eyes met his for a brief second, fear flashing in the gray irises before they hardened like steel. "I want to talk about Percy."

* * *

><p><strong>Hi again! I am so sorry for the long wait, but school and work have been killing me. Not to mention Nico's pov is probably the msot complex. Think about it: he sits on the outside observing everything all the time. In my opinion he has one the most complex characters and I really want to capture that. I don't know if I did here, but I will if it kills me! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and as always please review! <strong>


	4. Discussions

"I want to talk about Percy." She said, her eyes locked on his face. Strands of her blonde hair fell in her face, her gray eyes as hard as steel. Her cheeks were flushed a bright pink, her lips turned down in a worried frown. All together she looked slightly sick, but she was determined.

Nico had to admit, and he didn't do so lightly, he was taken aback. He and Annabeth were as far from friends as two demigods could be. In hindsight, they got along as well as the Aphrodite and Ares cabin did. In the past they'd only worked together in dire circumstances, and even then they tended to butt heads the entire time. She'd suggest they go one way, he'd immediately suggest the other. He'd want to launch a counter attack, she'd want to retreat. It was a constant push and pull war between them, neither willing to give an inch. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Whenever Percy intervened or jumped in the middle of one of their disputes Nico gave in, if only to please the other demigod. It was pathetic, he knew, but he couldn't shake the urge to make him happy at any opportunity.

That in mind, Nico felt completely justified in being shocked that the daughter of Athena would come to _him_ to talk about her boyfriend. That wasn't counting the fact that he envied her for having the one thing he wanted most. Nico gave her a polite and confused smile. "If you're looking for him, I haven't seen him since this morning. I've been here alone for a while."

Her lips twitched and amusement flashed in her eyes. "I know where he is; I left him at the pavilion."

Now he really was confused. "Then what about him?"

Annabeth hesitated, her face suddenly confused and unsure. She bit her body lip nervously and ducked her head before meeting his eyes again. "Things are different now…very different. I'm sure you've noticed." Her voice trailed off at the end.

Nico stepped back from Annabeth. "All of us are different. Did you really expect him to be the same after what he's been through?" He shrugged and turned from the girl. "We're lucky he's even able to pretend like everything's normal, when really he's falling apart."

"I know he's not the same, and I would never question that." Her voice wavered slightly, prompting Nico to face her again. Her eyes were wide and glassy; her arms were wrapped around her middle as she visibly shook; and her bottom lip was quivering. He cursed and in two strides he pulled her against his chest. He'd never meant to make her upset, but sometimes he was brutally blunt with people. He couldn't forget that Annabeth knew firsthand how changed the three of them were.

She clung to him, burying her face to against his chest. "Nico… I-I know your secret." she whispered so low he almost missed it.

Nico froze, his muscles tightening. His heart thumped furiously against his ribcage and he could practically feel the flames heating his cheeks. "What secret?" he squeaked.

Annabeth pulled back and met his gaze. "Whenever Percy felt the need to be stupid and reckless I would freeze. I would stand there helpless and watch him almost die time and time again, and each time he came closer to death than the time before. It was unbearable to watch him hurting like that, no matter how brave he fought. I felt like I couldn't breathe anytime a monster got a good swipe in, like a piece of me was ripped away. And when he'd miraculously survive I'd yell at him for being stupid, all the while looking at him as if he's the most precious thing in the world. Nothing else would matter in that moment but those sea green eyes and shy smile. And it seemed that each time I looked at him after I appreciated him more and wanted more than anything for him to just _be_ there." She smiled softly. "I've seen that look from you several times, more recently this morning. I know you like him."

Nico jumped away from her. She let her arms drop, but she refused to drop his gaze. He felt a burning sensation in his shoulder that made him quiver. Anger flashed hot and forcefully through his veins. His vision tainted red and he could feel his own rage bubbling to the surface. Memories of his time facing Cupid danced through his mind. He'd tried damn it, he really had. Jason was never meant to know his secret, no one was. It wasn't normal to feel this way; he couldn't be a freak, an outsider. There were human laws and then there were natural laws, the latter much more powerful and ingrained in him since early childhood. Yet here he was aching to defy those very laws. It was too much, an even greater kick to the gut that Annabeth of all people would figure it out.

He tightened his hands into fists and gritted his teeth. "Stay away from me Annabeth Chase. Stay the Hell away!" His voice cracked and his vision blurred. Nico cursed himself for letting his emotions get the better of him.

Annabeth crossed her arms over her chest, and stood her ground. Her eyes flashed dangerously, and for once she resembled her old self. "Nico you have to stop running from this. I know you're afraid, but-"

Nico cut her off sharply. "What the Hell would you know? You don't know a damn thing about me or my thoughts so don't pretend to."

"I know that you grew up in an era where a child would have been beaten for even considering homosexuality. I know that you kept it a secret from everyone, including Bianca. I know you first realized what he meant to you when he saved you in the Labrynth."

Nico shook his head and stepped back from her. "You don't know anything. You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Do I?" she demanded advancing on him. "Everything that you've ever done has ultimately protected Percy. It didn't matter the costs to you or anyone else as long as he was okay. You disobeyed your own father for him. You told him how to become invincible, a taboo among demigods. The others would have never found the doors of death if you hadn't been locked onto Percy's life force the whole time."

He felt a tear slide down his face and retreated further from the daughter of Athena. He shook his head frantically. "Annabeth stop."

"I won't Nico, not until you admit it. There's no point in hiding from this; it's what drives you and makes you both strong and weak. You love him why can't you accept it?"

His back hit a wall. Nico fumbled in his head, trying to find some way to salvage himself. Annabeth didn't give him that chance. She stepped until they were chest to chest, her eyes softening. "Nico stop running from yourself. Trust me when I say it only breaks you down more."

She wrapped her arms around his middle and embraced him tightly. Nico felt the anger flow out of him, zapping him of his energy. His knees wobbled and his head pounded. His ears started ringing and sweat pooled on his brow. But Annabeth did not let go; she held him even as he started to cry into her shoulder, his tears soaking her shirt and hair. His chest hurt, but he knew it was all in his head. How long could he keep this up? And if Annabeth knew his secret, what did that mean?

The duo eventually sat down, backs pressed against the wall. Annabeth leaned on his shoulder, their hands intertwined. Nico rested his head atop hers and attempted to match her slow breathing. It felt nice and almost peaceful to just sit there with her. Her skin was warm and soft against him, and he felt the tension winding out of him. He sighed and resorted to wrapping his arms tighter around her and drawing her closer. She grinned and snuggled further into him.

Nico felt his eyelids drooping and couldn't bring himself to fight it. It was strange being this close to another person. Besides Bianca-and eventually Hazel- he opted out of things like cuddling and unnecessary hugs. But this was different; he could do this. There wasn't anything awkward about holding the daughter of Athena in his arms. It felt natural and good to do so.

Annabeth started talking, her fingers tracing shapes on the back of his hand. He listened to her talk about her father and step family. He listened respectfully and even squeezed her hand when she started talking about running away from home. Her voice was soft and almost sad, but there was a light edge to it. She had found closure with her past. Nico frowned slightly, knowing that she could not see. Is she could make peace with her past, why couldn't he? After what seemed like an eternity Nico broke the silence.

"Annabeth can I ask you a question?"

She tilted her head up to look at him. "Sure, what is it?" She adjusted herself so that she was propped on her elbow instead of him. Her blonde hair hung over her shoulders, the sun's rays dancing off the golden strands.

"Why do you even care about how I feel about Percy?" he refused to drop his gaze. He wanted to catch her in the lie, to see the cruel hearted person she really was. It was more than his insecurities, because now that she knew his secret she could destroy him. Annabeth seemed to read his mind and offered a wan smile. She stood and made a show of dusting herself off before moving towards the door. She stooped at the entrance and looked back over her shoulder.

"Because he deserves someone that can be honest with himself. If you can't do that, you can't protect him." She was gone without another word.

* * *

><p>Steam filled the bathroom until all he could see was a thick cloud of white. Making sure that the door was locked, Nico systematically stripped until he stood clad only in his boxers. He stopped to admire himself in the mirror. He certainly wasn't skinny anymore, but he was still on the leaner side. He traced his fingers lightly over his newly formed six pack and grinned stupidly. Puberty was certainly doing wonders for him. He'd grown a foot taller and his muscles were more defined. He'd trimmed his hair a little so it no longer hung to his shoulders, but it was still long enough to hang in his eyes. His face was showing signs of maturity, even tiny strands of hair sprouting on his chin.<p>

He took a second longer to marvel at his body before stepping underneath the hot spray. The water beat against his body, soothing his muscles. He tilted his head back and released a heavy sigh. His mind clouded over and his legs turned to mush. He let his mouth drop open and let himself relax. The water rinsed away the day's woes. He just needed a moment to breathe, a moment to think. And of course he kept thinking about Percy and what Annabeth had said. That was something he couldn't figure out no matter how desperately he wanted to. It was strange that the girl that should be his romantic rival was basically handing over Percy on a silver platter. He couldn't fathom why she would do this and it was driving him mad.

Nico quickly washed himself and stepped out of the shower. He ran a towel through his hair before wrapping it around his waist. He took his time stretching, waiting patiently for the steam to disperse.

* * *

><p><em>It was almost too easy, like a dream come true. The boy stood defenseless just within her grasp. All she needed was a little more time and the son of Hades would be hers…<em>

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: Sorry for the long wait! I just didn't like the way it was turning out so I had to keep rewriting it. I hope you enjoy!<p> 


	5. Choices

_The silence woke him. At first, it was comfortable as one would expect. The sleeping world was still alive. Tiny animals darted and scampered among the tangled tree roots; the moon blinked its mellow and pale light; the Earth breathed gently; families lay tucked within their beds, warm and safe. There was nothing abnormal, nothing to cause alarm…yet the silence was simply wrong somehow. He could feel it as he sucked in a greedy breath, hands fisting in the sweat soaked comforter. The silence was heavy and pressing upon his chest, pinning him there in his bed with fear. A shiver raced up his spine and goose bumps raised up his naked torso. He exhaled slowly, feeling the weight disappear. But now it was time to breathe again, breathe in the frightening silent air._

_He struggled into a sitting position, his body quivering. His eyes slowly raked the messy room uneasily. Never before had such a fear overwhelmed him, never had he felt so vulnerable. His heart thumped lightly against his ribcage, yet his stomach was knotting uncomfortably. His throat was dry and his skin felt colder than ice. He blinked into the shadows of his bedroom and for the first time felt the need to run. His blood was hot as it pumped through his body, begging for something he could not place. He pulled his knees up to his body and rested his chin on them. There had not been a dream or a nightmare, absolutely nothing to justify the soft tremors consuming him. He squeezed his eyes and bit hard on his bottom lip. What was this? _

_The silence continued to press in around him, pressing until the oxygen became heavy with something evil. He shuddered as a gentle wind blew over his shoulder. The window was closed. Breathing uneasily, he slipped out of bed and padded barefoot to the bedroom door. His hand trembled as he gripped the knob and twisted. And suddenly he could sense a darker presence just hovering beside him. He spun around, his throat tight with a hardly contained scream. There was nothing, nothing except the shadows and the glow of the moon. The moon winked sadly at him, whispered to him horrifying and evil things. He fled the room._

_He ran down the short and empty hallway, sensing the silence nipping at his heels. Somehow he knew that if it caught him he would be consumed. He slammed the bathroom door closed and locked it quickly. His heart was hammering against his chest now, so much so that it hurt. He licked his lip and slowly took a step toward the door. He did not feel the silence here, or the hidden evil within it. He placed his palm cautiously against the door and shivered. The silence was calling to him, singing its melancholy song of death. Breathing deeply he dropped his hands and turned on the water. He splashed it into his face, letting the cool liquid calm him. _

_Percy gripped the marble counter top until his knuckles turned white and peered at himself. He couldn't have been more confused or frightened in his life. It was one thing to face lethal creatures on a day to day basis or purposefully put your life on the line; that was easy and survivable. It was another thing entirely to look in the mirror and see a complete stranger. He reached out with a trembling hand and pressed his fingers against the cool glass. The person staring back at him had ghostly pale skin and sunken eyes. His skin seemed to stretch over his cheekbones and dark shadows ghosted over his face. Who was that poor soul? Why did the eyes look so broken and distraught? _

_Someone rapped sharply on the door and Percy jumped. He stared at the door in wide eyed horror when someone banged on the door again and pressed himself against the farthest wall in panic. He looked around wildly for anything to use as a weapon, only just realizing that he'd forgotten Riptide. He cursed himself for losing his main line of defense. How stupid could he get? That was demigod rule 1: never forget your weapon. If he died he would deserve it for being so stupid. _

_The wooden door creaked before swinging open and crashing against the wall. Percy's heart stuttered in his chest. His hands balled into tight fists and he gritted his teeth, ready for a fight. If he was going to go he was going out swinging. He counted to three, took a deep breath and surged forward. His body collided with his attacker's and they both crashed to the ground. The person underneath him squirmed and he dimly noticed that they were tiny compared to him. It didn't matter however; monsters came in all shapes and sizes. _

_Percy sat up, straddling his attacker, and reared his fist back to slam into their face. A hand gripped his wrist tightly and the person squeaked in fright. "Percy stop!"_

_He stopped himself and blinked in bewilderment. "Rachel? What the hell are you doing here?" He quickly clambered off of the girl, his cheeks flaming darker than her hair. He extended a hand to help her up, but she gruffly ignored it and stood on her own. She shot him a dirty look and began dusting the sand off of her clothes. Wait…sand? Percy's eyes widened as he took in the crystal blue waters and warm white sand. He was on a beach?_

"_I could ask you the same thing Perseus," she snapped, "but I was too busy trying not to be bludgeoned to death by a trigger happy demigod."_

_Percy winced when she used his full name, something women seemed to do when they were mad at him. He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry Rach, I thought you were…something else." He trailed off and shivered, remembering the ominous presence lingering just beyond the closed door only moments ago. _

_Rachel met his eyes, searching his face for something. She straightened and fixed him with a cold stare. "Why are you here Perseus Jackson? What is your purpose?" Her voice seemed stronger and older than the girl he knew. Now that he looked closer he noticed that this girl, while resembling Rachel Dare, was not the girl he knew. Her red hair was a shade too dark and it shimmered unnaturally. Her skin was darker, slightly tanned, and her cheeks were dotted with brown freckles. Her eyes were sharper and colder, calculating almost. And he should have noticed that she was shorter than the girl he knew. If this wasn't Rachel, then who was she?_

_As if reading his mind the girl rolled her eyes and flicked her hand. Her image shifted and Percy caught a brief glance at what the stranger really looked like. She had flawless alabaster skin that seemed to glow, giving it a slight bronze tint; her thick raven hair whipped around her head as if alive; her eyes danced between colors, never settling on one specific shade; her blood red lips were set in a small smirk. Then, just as suddenly she was the fake Rachel again. Percy stepped back from the goddess (because seriously what else could she be?) and assessed her warily. The last time he'd seen Hecate the witch had been watching curiously as Hazel fought to save them. His memories were not too fond of her. _

"_What do you want?" he asked cautiously. He'd learned from painful experience that when a god or goddess approached you it usually meant that you'd been chosen as their new plaything. He must be lucky because he'd been chosen a lot as of late._

_The goddess grinned and it sent chills up his spine. "Oh Perseus I've wanted to meet you personally for quite some time. I figured that you'd be more comfortable in you natural element," she gestured around her with a lazy hand, "Because we have so much to discuss. Join me on my chariot?" _

_Percy looked just behind her and saw the golden chariot before glancing at the goddess again. Could he refuse her? What would Hecate do to him if he offended her offer of hospitality? He knew that some gods and goddesses were overly egotistic and that the slightest bruise would cause them to go ballistic. She was definitely one of the more dangerous ones, and she seemed inclined to take a more neutral stance when it came to the affairs of demigods. He didn't really see a way out of this, or better yet, one that would not result in him being incinerated right on the spot. "I don't see any other choice; I might as well." _

_Hecate beamed, her eyes flashing dangerously. She spun on her heels and glided away, expecting to be followed. Percy wanted to turn and run, but he was certain that he wouldn't make it far. He was positive that she was controlling his dreams and could hurt him if she wanted. Sighing in defeat he followed. The sand squished between his toes, the smell of the salty water wafted up his nose, and miraculously it calmed him. He lifted his eyes upward and prayed to his father to help him somehow. _

_When he reached the chariot the goddess offered him a hand. Percy reluctantly accepted and instantly collapsed to his knees. His head spun and his tongue felt heavy. His vision blurred and he struggled to breathe. Hecate dropped her hand and his lungs expanded. He blinked, realizing he was on all fours and trembling. He climbed shakily to his feet and pressed himself as far back as he could in the chariot. Hecate was grinning devilishly and reclining, her hawk eyes on him. _

"_It's rude to keep a lady waiting little demigod. You act as if you don't want to be here at all." She patted his cheek affectionately, her lips curling when he flinched. "Now, I must hurry and deliver this message to you. Darker forces than you could even imagine are upon you. It isn't merely about going back to Tartarus. This is survival. You were lucky the last time you ventured through, but luck is short lived. If you want to survive your task is simple: do not go back." _

_Percy reeled back as if slapped. "What do you mean?" he sputtered bewilderedly. The gods were never ones to recommend disobeying a prophecy, especially one of great importance like this. _

_Hecate rolled her eyes and fixed him with a tired stare. "As I said, if you want to survive you cannot go back to Tartarus. Survival is the key to a long life, and if you go there you will not return a second time."_

_He shook his head vehemently. "We were given a prophecy that said-" _

_The goddess stood to her feet, mist twisting around her like snakes. "The prophecy never said anything of the sort. Your precious centaur may have inferred that that is your destination, but I assure you that you will all meet your end there. Do you not know the powers that you are facing boy? There is a reason the underworld sits above such a terrible place, as I'm sure you've seen. Tartarus is not meant for the living."_

_Percy glared at the goddess. "I can't abandon my friends. I don't doubt that I may die, but at least I'd have done something."_

_Hecate tossed her head back and laughed. The sound thundered across the beach, echoing off the waves and chilling his bones. She fixed him with cold, greedy eyes. She reached out and gripped his chin between her long fingers, forcing him to look directly into his eyes. "How very noble of you little demigod. I have heard and witnessed your determination to always stand by your friends. It is very admirable in some cases, yet imbecilic in others. I am not questioning your loyalty to them, for it is clear that it is unwavering; but I am presenting a path for you that you'd never considered. Walk away and you will survive." _

_Percy wanted to pry her fingers from his face, but her touch had frozen him. His limbs felt like leaded weights, his tongue felt swollen, and his mind felt foggy. The witch smiled and leaned in until her breath fanned across his cheeks. Her eyes swam, the irises switching from warm colors of summer to the cool shades of winter. "I give choices little demigod, diverging paths that can change your life in unimaginable ways. Young Hazel chose the path that seemed most hopeless and in the end she saved your life. Consider that Perseus Jackson."_

_She leaned away and dropped her hands. Percy felt himself shaking and wanted to vomit. Hecate considered him for a moment, a sweet and somber smile on her lips. Unlike the others it looked genuine, giving the witch an almost harmless appearance. "I must admit that I am not fond of demigods Perseus, but I find you very intriguing. That being said, I feel it necessary to warn you. Dark forces are stirring beneath our very feet, some of which are greater than any of the gods. My magic is powerful, especially in the subconscious mind because it is what you want to see. But the subconscious also makes you an easy target for these forces. They will not always harm physically if the chance to corrupt your mind presents itself; therefore I am arming you with a little bit of my magic. But it comes with a price. If I am to protect you then you must swear that when the time comes you will perform a task for me."_

_Percy felt a chill race up his spine. Why would a god offer to help him? What could she ask him to do? He didn't like this one bit considering she'd practically manhandled him the entire time. He didn't really know much about her, but from this brief encounter he could tell that she was crafty with several hidden agendas. There could be no telling which were beneficial to the demigods or lethal. "What task?"_

_She waved a hand airily, as if it didn't matter. "When the time comes you'll know. Now swear on the river Styx and you shall have my protection."_

_He debated the idea in his head, but couldn't force himself to answer. There were still too many unknowns in the equation, too many things that could harm his friends. She'd told him to abandon them to survive, to accept her protection only if he'd be her lapdog. But how could he fight against such a powerful being should she prove evil? She controlled the Mist, the very barrier between reality and fantasy. His best chance would be to walk away right now, but he knew in his gut that the Hecate would not offer again. Besides, he hadn't a prayer of warding off whatever was tracking him on his own. Really, he had no choice. _

"_Okay. I swear on the river Styx to perform whatever task you ask me in exchange for your protection." He huffed, tightening his hands into fists and dropping his gaze. Hecate hummed in satisfaction before pressing a finger to his forehead. _

"_Good boy. Now, wake up little demigod." The last thing Percy saw was her ever shifting eyes._

* * *

><p>Someone was banging on his skull with a sledgehammer. Percy groaned, cracking his eyes open. The light filtered in through the open window, casting light shadows across the floor. Outside he could hear the bells sounding in the dining pavilion, signaling the start of breakfast. The smells of fresh baked cinnamon rolls, biscuits, eggs, and bacon wafted in on the morning breeze. His stomach rumbled approvingly and his mouth watered.<p>

Someone pounded at the cabin door again and Percy winced. His head hurt and he did feel slightly nauseas. He admittedly had lied to Nico when he'd said he was alright yesterday, and the dream was just icing on top of his cake of suffering. He hadn't meant to lie to the son of Hades, but he couldn't have the kid worrying over him like a mother hen. Surely the boy had problems of his own to deal with that had nothing to do with Percy at all. He was the oldest; it was his job to protect the younger demigod.

The person banged away at the door again, relentless in their effort to torture him. Groaning, Percy slipped out of bed and stomped to the door. He threw it open, scowl firmly in place and ready to yell at the little monster causing him so much pain. His annoyance subsided when he saw Nico standing there, fist raised to knock again.

Nico was wearing black jeans that hugged his hips and a plain grey Henley that molded to his lean muscles. His obsidian black hair was tussled and hung in his dark brown eyes. The teen's cheeks were flushed red, the blush now disappearing into his shirt as he took in Percy. He dropped his hand and stepped back awkwardly, his teeth worrying his bottom lip. Percy felt his heart skip slightly at the sight of him, but he immediately dismissed any distracting thoughts.

After a moment of awkward silence, he ran a hand through his hair and leaned against the doorjamb. "Hey Neeks, what's up?"

The younger demigod flared up at the nickname. "I told you never to call me that!" He scowled and flushed deeper.

Percy tried and failed to hold back his grin. "I don't recall you ever saying that Neeks. Are you sure you know what you're talking about?"

The boy narrowed his eyes and shoved a thin finger at Percy's nose. "I told you that if you ever called me that again I'd have Jason send a lightning bolt up your-"

Percy grabbed his wrist and bent his arm behind his back, simultaneously pulling the boy until he was flush against his chest. Nico was staring at him wide eyed, his perfect little mouth gaping open in shock. "That's assuming of course I let you live to tell anyone. And why Jason of all people?" he inquired jokingly.

Nico squirmed in his grasp, his cheeks redder than Rachel's hair. "Let go Percy." He tried shoving at him with his other arm, but it was useless. Percy was taller and slightly bulkier, thus having an advantage. He grinned goofily and pulled Nico into his cabin, closing the door with his foot. The son of Hades squawked indignantly when Percy finally released him. He was shooting Percy a glare that'd freeze a gorgon, but he ignored it and went about dressing. He pulled on a simple t-shirt and jeans and finger combed his hair. He searched for his shoes, brushed his teeth, and washed his face whilst whistling a nameless tune.

After he was finished he perched himself on his bed and watched Nico unconsciously explore his cabin. It was amusing to watch him run his fingers over the sea creatures etched into the floor boards and doorframes. His fingers danced over the intricate nets woven along the Far East wall, the silken threads shimmering under his careful touch. Nico snorted and rolled his eyes at the empty and dust laden bookshelf sitting in the corner. Percy couldn't help but chuckle at himself. Did he even own a book? He frowned to himself, suddenly feeling very self conscious. Would Nico prefer someone intelligent or well versed in literature? Percy could read and write, but he wasn't a big fan of it. But if Nico liked that…

Percy sighed internally and mentally kicked himself as he watched Nico toy with his many trinkets. He couldn't find a rhyme or reason to this attraction, but it was there. It hadn't been a sudden, cliché type of crush either. It had started as a simple overwhelming need to protect Nico at all costs, one that drove him to chase the kid through the labyrinth and rescue him from Tartarus. From there he'd found himself watching the boy in quiet fondness and amusement as he tried so hard to act as if he didn't care for every person aboard the Argo II. It wasn't until he'd almost lost him in the final battle that Percy realized just how much more Nico meant to him than the others, even Annabeth.

Nico picked up Riptide and swung it experimentally, his eyes reading the inscriptions in the bronze blade. The light danced across his face, slightly illuminating the fading scar that ran from just behind his ear to his collar. Percy shivered, remembering the exact moment Polybotes swung at him and Nico had pushed him out of the way. He remembered silence ringing across the battle field, everyone stopping to stare in shock as the small boy crumbled. Thick crimson pooled around him and soaked into the ground, his eyes staring blankly at the sky. And Percy had just lost it. He didn't remember much after that, just holding Nico when it was all over as Poseidon healed his wound. All it took was that one moment for Percy to realize what he should have known: he loved Nico Di Angelo.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Hello my faithful readers! I hope I haven't kept you waiting for too long, but here is the next chapter! I was so excited to see people trying to predict what's going to happen, and I don't believe in spoilers so I won't tell you any dirty secrets. However, I'm in a good mood so I will tell you that Annabeth is not the bad guy here and expect to hate me when this is all over. That is all. <strong>


	6. Raw

The camp was abuzz with activity by the time Nico managed to drag Percy from his cabin. Campers darted around to their designated stations, taunting each other while grinning madly; satyrs danced around the groups of raucous campers playing their reed pipes or cracking corny jokes; and the nymphs watched on earnestly from the shelter of the trees. The sun set high in cloudless sky, golden against the endless sea of blue. A gentle wind ghosted over the camp, carrying with it the sweet smells of early summer. Birds soared overhead and squirrels scampered along the ground.

It was picture perfect, and Percy wished that he'd get to enjoy such beauty for once. As it was, he and Nico were making their way to the Big House to meet with Chiron, Jason, and Rachel. He couldn't lie and say he was looking forward to the meeting, but there was not a choice in the matter. He'd been singled out (again) in a prophecy along with Jason and Nico, and they needed him. He could not abandon them when it was clear that the three of them had to stand together. They'd fought tooth and nail to meet him at the doors of death months ago, a debt Percy felt he could never repay. Besides, Jason was the only one that had not ventured into Tartarus, and they had to prepare him somehow.

They came around the Athena cabin, the sounds of clashing swords floating on the wind. Annabeth was sparring with one of her siblings, her face screwed in concentration. Nico blushed at the sight of her and hurried along. Percy, however, stopped to stare. Annabeth had changed dramatically since they'd finally defeated Gaea, possibly more than any of them. Her blonde hair was still voluminous but had lost its luster; her face was thinner, the skin stretching over her cheekbones; her eyes seemed permanently red and rimmed in dark shadows; her lean figure was replaced with an almost skeletal replica; and her skin was deathly pale. Annabeth looked as if she only had moments left on the earth, if that.

Percy swallowed thickly, guilt pooling in his stomach. He knew they had their own problems to deal with, but Annabeth was different than the rest of them. Percy had his mother; Nico had Bianca's ghost; Leo had Jason; and everyone else had their respective families. All of them had someone to run to. Annabeth didn't really have anyone she could turn to or was comfortable enough to be vulnerable around. After the ordeal that they'd been through, the girl needed someone, but no one was there.

Annabeth's sibling lunged with his sword aimed straight at her chest. The blonde dodged, rolling left before slamming the hilt into his shoulder. The boy gasped in pain and dropped his sword on the ground. Annabeth wasted little time in kicking the kids' feet from under him and pressing the tip of her blade into his throat. They were both breathing heavily, but grinning. She bent down and offered him a hand which he accepted. She patted him on the back, laughing along to something he said. And then her eyes fell on him.

Percy felt pinned in place. Those storm gray irises were locked onto his, daring him to move. There were so many conflicting emotions in them and Percy felt each like a fresh slap to the face. Although her face was schooled into a blank mask, he could see the pain hidden in her eyes. It sent daggers into his chest; because it was his fault she was hurting like this. He'd promised never to hurt her and yet he'd left her to deal with the memories alone. He'd left her to her own devices and problems and they were clearly killing her. Percy clenched his hands into fists, wanting desperately to get on his knees and apologize to her, but knowing nothing he said would ever be enough.

He half expected Annabeth to curse at him or sic her brawnier siblings on him, something he felt he may deserve. Instead she dropped her gaze, sighing. She looked back up at him, a small smile pricking her lips and something akin to relief shining in her eyes. She waved to him before turning and ducking inside her cabin. Percy was shocked to say the least and he found himself waving after she'd already gone. Her siblings were shooting him dirty looks, but he ignored them. They couldn't understand that while he was not in love with her, there was still a part of him reserved only for her.

Percy turned away and hurried to catch up with Nico, who was leaning casually against a tree near the Aphrodite cabin. A few of the girls were whispering behind their hands and shooting Nico longing glances. It was not hard to see what had them practically mooning over the reclusive demigod. His hair, although black as night, shined in the sun and hung in his face obscuring his dark brown eyes. His eyes were deep pools that dragged a person beneath the surfaces and held them until they drowned in the complexity of his psych. A few years ago he was thin and wiry, but now he was lean and muscular. His jeans hung low on his hips, but hugged his thighs in complimentary ways. But there was more to him than his looks. Nico was intelligent, Percy willing to bet even on a genius level. Whenever he chose to, Nico could be affectionate and sensitive.

Altogether, Nico was the epitome of what a Greek hero should be-sexy, smart, mysterious, and completely unattainable. And while Percy could understand the girls' attraction to him, it did not mean that he liked it. He felt a swell of jealousy build in his gut, twisting up and shooting flames into his chest. He marched over to the tree, working to keep his face smooth. Nico looked up as he approached and Percy was startled to see his cheeks slightly pink. Why was he blushing? Percy shot another glance at the Aphrodite girls before gently grabbing Nico's elbow and dragging him away.

They walked in silence, Percy fuming and Nico staring pointedly ahead. He stared sideways at the son of Hades, frustrated that he couldn't read him to figure out what he was thinking. His face was completely void of emotion and his eyes were guarded. Not only that, but he was working hard to stay arm lengths away from Percy, despite the thin trail they walked. What had happened? Just this morning he'd been inside of his cabin touching his stuff and threatening to kill him, and now he was avoiding him like the plague. It didn't make any sense to him, and Nico wasn't willing to talk.

When they neared the Big House Percy had had enough. He reached out and grabbed Nico's elbow, halting him mid-step. The son of Hades raised an eyebrow at him imploringly. "What is it Percy?" he asked.

Percy felt his cheeks heat up and dropped his hand. He didn't really know what was _wrong_ besides his own conflicting emotions, but those were things that he couldn't say. Not yet anyways. "I…was just wondering if you were okay. I mean yesterday we didn't really get to talk about anything and I didn't know how you were handling things."

Nico's eyebrows raised impossibly high, his mouth partly open in surprise. He snapped his mouth shut and turned away. "I'm perfectly fine Percy." He started up the stairs but Percy caught his wrist again. This time the younger boy jerked his arm free and shot him a withering look. "I said I was fine Perseus. Why can't you let it go?" he snapped. Percy watched him stomp inside and reluctantly followed.

Chiron looked up when they entered. His eyes were old and tired, his face weathered and beaten, his mouth turned down in a deep frown. The centaur literally looked as if he was aging by the minute, as if the hope and life was slowly being leeched from him. He was a completely different man than the one Percy had come to know when he was twelve. There had been a certain spark in his personality that fed the camper's hopes and energies, a twinkle in his eyes that promised mischief, and a sarcastic wit that would have anyone with sense rolling with laughter. Once again, Percy felt guilt slam in to him. It was their fault, mostly his, that the fun loving centaur was reduced to this shell of a man.

They quickly joined Rachel and Jason who were seated around a large round table. Rachel was dressed in loose fitting jeans and a plain t-shirt, her red hair was pulled into a messy bun atop her head. Jason wore his signature purple t-shirt and faded jeans with holes in his knees, his blonde hair swept to the side. Rachel offered Percy a smile when he sat next to her, bumping his shoulder gently. Nico sat next to Jason, not making eye contact with any of them. Jason frowned and whispered something to him. The boy murmured something too low for Percy to catch, but based on Jason throwing him a sideways glance he could pretty much guess who it was about.

He felt his cheeks heat up and he found himself clenching his fists. It shouldn't bother him as much as it was, but he couldn't help himself. Why was Nico so comfortable around everyone but him? It was like he was stepping through a minefield with the child of Hades most of the time; one wrong step and he'd be getting the cold shoulder for weeks. Everyone else on the other hand were either consistently ignored or welcomed into his tight circle of friends. Why couldn't the stupid kid just talk to him?

Chiron gave them a minute to settle in before drawing their attention. Percy fumed, silently vowing to pull Nico aside later and forcing him to talk to him. "I have spent the past day pondering yesterday's events in their entirety and consulting the gods. Despite what Hecate has said, Zeus and the others feel that this is one quest that should be avoided. They have advised me to dissuade you from embarking on this quest. It is too dangerous and they will be unable to help you should in Tartarus should the need arise."

Percy, Nico, Jason, and Rachel exchanged shocked and confused looks before turning back to the centaur. "But Chiron, Rachel already spoke the prophecy. We were singled out to do this." Jason argued.

"Nico and I have been there before and survived. Mind you, we did that without the gods help. Between the two of us we should be able to get Jason through there unscathed as well." Percy added.

Rachel nodded. "Hecate practically told me what was going to happen before it happened. That should count for something. Don't you understand what will happen unless we do this?"

"I am well aware, as are your fathers, but my orders were clear. I am under oath not to give my blessing on this quest. It is simply too dangerous for you to handle; you all are still children."

"With all due respect, we have never been children Chiron." Nico whispered. All eyes turned to him and he met them all unabashedly. "None of us, except maybe Rachel, have had anything close to a normal childhood. Some of us didn't even know who we really were, or where we really came from. Jason was kidnapped as a baby because he was destined to be a pawn in a twisted little game. Percy was marked for death simply because of who his father was. I lost my entire family because of who my father is. With no disrespect intended, the gods really have no right to consider us as mere children after everything we've been through. Think about everything we've been through and tell me that we are only ill equipped children."

Chiron stared at Nico long and hard for a moment, as if studying him for the first time. Nico matched his gaze evenly, his face stony. He'd meant every word he'd said and was not going to take them back. Percy watched them wordlessly battle each other uneasily. There had always been animosity between the two of them, but in the end Nico had always done what he was told to do. Now however he was challenging the old centaur, and reluctant to follow along with him. It wasn't simple rebellion however; nothing the son of Hades did was simple. Chiron seemed to sense this as well, for he did not chastise him.

The centaur sighed heavily and sat at the table with them. He ran a hand over his face, and when he looked back up at them Percy saw tears glistening in them. "For centuries I have trained demigods like you. I have done my best to guide and counsel them all without getting attached emotionally. There's no point in doing so, because the life of any demigod, regardless of how strong they may be, is short. I have buried just as many. For ages it has affected me only just enough that I can say that there is perhaps a shred of humanity and compassion in my old bones, but you all are different. This particular group of campers has become more to me than a horde of the god's offspring. You all have found a way to break through an old centaurs carefully built walls and give me something I have never had for my own: a family." He paused and took a shaky breath. Rachel, who Percy noticed was tearing up as well, reached over and gently squeezed his arm. "I have watched you all grow into strong young men and women, some of you from the time you were barely adolescents. And while I trained you to fight and survive, each time you were called on a quest or into battle I was afraid. I often found myself praying to the gods to protect you and help you, even though I knew they could not in most cases. And every time you returned I breathed a little easier, at least for that moment. I know that you all have seen and done things that will have changed you in ways no normal teenager could possibly imagine, but I cannot bring myself to see you all as nothing more than children. Children who deserve more than the hand they've been dealt and then some; children that deserve parents who ignore stupid rules and will always be there for them." He took another shaky breath before meeting Nico's wide eyes. "You may not appreciate the gods showing concern for you all, but I cannot pretend that I do not care about you all. To me you are children and I wish with all of my being that you all never had to endure what you have and will."

They were silent for a moment before Nico spoke up. "I'm sorry, that was kind of harsh. We understand."

If Percy was thrown for a loop before, he was definitely out of his element now. All the years that he'd known Chiron, the centaur had never presented his emotions so raw and naked to them before. He spoke in irritating riddles majority of the time and seemed to just absorb the teenage drama like a sponge. But never had he expressed any feelings of his own. It left Percy feeling warm inside knowing that the centaur cared for them so deeply. Not only that, but Nico was apologizing. He wasn't heartless, but he wasn't exactly keen to take back anything he'd said either. And now he was agreeing when only moments ago he'd been ready to battle Chiron on the matter. It was making his head hurt.

Nico and Chiron shared one long glance, once again reverting to their nonverbal conversation. After a minute Nico broke eye contact and stood. As if on cue Jason stood and began following Nico out of the Big House. Rachel jumped to her feet and dragged Percy with her. They jogged to catch up to the other two who were waiting outside for them. Jason was looking out at the lake, his eyebrows creased with worry. Nico seemed completely calm and even smiled when they approached.

"What are you smiling about? We are kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place here." Rachel put her hand on her hips, glaring at him.

Nico grinned wider. "It's simple really. We're going on this quest. I say it's best to leave tonight."

The red head blanched, her eyes widening. "B-but Chiron just forbade us from going. Are you seriously going to disobey him without trying to convince the gods first? Have you lost your damn mind?!" she exclaimed hotly. Her fists clenched and she pulled her arm back like she was going to slug him. Percy grabbed her elbow and stepped in between the two of them before wheeling on Nico. He shook his head to clear the anger pulsing from his body, but it was damn hard. Chiron had just poured his heart out to them literally, and instead of trying to do things the responsible way he wanted to throw all of them head first into danger.

"Nico are you serious about this? Don't you realize what could happen to us if we just up and leave? Chiron literally just begged us not to do this and you-"

"If both of you would shut up and give him a chance to explain things then you wouldn't be quick to kill him." Jason snapped, still not looking at them.

Nico shot him an appreciative look. "I know what Chiron said; I listened to every single word. He never said that we were forbidden to go. He simply said the gods made him swear not to sanction this quest, not that we could not go. If Chiron had no idea that we were going to leave, then technically he would not have broken his promise. He was told to try and convince us not to go and he did that too. We, however, decided 'to Hell with the gods' and went on our merry little way without his knowledge."

It was so simple, Percy felt like he could hit himself and kiss Nico at the same time. "Chiron knows what we're going to do though, doesn't he? That's why he was looking at you like that. He already knew there was a loop hole in the gods' plans."

The younger demigod nodded smugly, eyes dancing with mischief. "Yeah, so like I said we can leave tonight after lights out. Meet me in my cabin with your supplies packed right after dinner and when everyone's sleeping we can shadow travel out of camp."

They all nodded, but Rachel hesitated, biting her lip. "Nico…the prophecy only called for the three of you. I can't leave camp. I don't know how to fight monsters and my aura is just as bright as any of yours. You'll already have a target on your backs without throwing a useless oracle into the equation."

Jason looked at them, his expression softening. "You're not useless Rachel; in fact you're probably the toughest of all of us. And as far as I can tell you are just as important to this as we are. I think you have to come with us."

She smiled shyly at him, blushing at his praise. Percy nudged her and waggled his eyebrows when Jason turned away from them again. She scowled and flipped him off. Nico chortled and came to Rachel's aid when Percy began poking her relentlessly in her side. Jason joined in the wrestling match, the three of them ganging up on the son of Poseidon effortlessly. They continued laughing and taunting each other, unaware that just in the shadow of the trees a shadow stood, watching them silently.

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><p>That night they gathered in Nico's cabin, packed and restless. Percy was not keen to shadow travel again, but it was certainly faster than going cross country to L.A to reach the underworld. He locked hands with Rachel and Jason, Nico right across from him. He focused on those dark eyes to ground himself as the shadows closed in. He searched for the light that had been burning in them that afternoon, for the boy that he'd come to care for. Nico met his eyes and for a second Percy thought he saw the same emotions echoed in the irises, but all too soon the darkness had claimed them.<p>

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><p><strong>Author's notes: I think I went on feels overload in this chapter, but who cares? Finally we are going to get some action in the next chapter, because I've starved you all enough I think. As usual please review, because that makes it easier for me as a writer. Weird I know, but go with it. Enjoy!1 <strong>


	7. Barrier

_Her eyes flew open, a silent scream working its way up her throat. She clawed at the bed sheets, her pale white skin shiny with sweat. Her storm gray eyes swiveled in their sockets trying to find the intruder. Her heart was ramming mercilessly against her ribs and her lungs were refusing to work properly. A shadow ghosted over her face and she arched her back, a strangled cry slipping past her lips. She sat upright and tumbled out of the bed, her blonde hair fling into her face. Gritting her teeth, the girl stumbled blindly to her feet, her breath becoming more ragged by the minute. _

"_No...Please no…"she panted as she struggled towards the cabin doors. She blinked back tears, a harsh sob tearing from her. "I can't…please I just can't…" she cried, collapsing to the ground. Her body convulsed violently, her head knocking against the wooden floor. She sobbed and screamed in terror, her voice several pitches higher than normal. Her back arched off the floor, one last heart shattering cry escaping her abused throat before the girl slumped back to the floor. A shadow passed over her, but she did not move or quiver. Her storm gray eyes stared unseeing at the ceiling above..._

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><p>Rachel gasped, her hands latching onto something warm and firm. She could feel herself shaking uncontrollably, and her eyes stung with unshed tears. Her throat felt raw as f she'd been screaming for hours and every muscle in her body was sore. She could feel her own heart steadily hammering away at her chest and her lungs sucking in small gusts of air. She blinked, clutching tighter to the firm object until she felt it twitch.<p>

Instinctively she released her hold, realizing it was an arm she'd been hugging frantically. The ridiculously tan arm snaked around her waist and pulled her flush against a warm muscular chest. Soft hands cradled her head and her back as someone began to rock her slowly. Rachel sucked in a deep breath, a small sob working its way up her throat. She could still feel the lingering fear and desperation from the vision as if it had been her own. But that wasn't all that frightened her. There had been something else there, something that had breached the most vulnerable part of her psych. It hadn't attacked, but it had been there watching and dancing around the very edges, as if tasting what she had to offer.

The strong arms slowly pulled away and panic crashed over her. Rachel latched on to the warmth for fear she'd succumb to the horrifying vision once again. A gentle hand cupped her cheek and tilted her face up at least, until she was staring into vivid blue eyes. Something foreign fluttered in her chest for a brief moment before her mind could put a face to them. And just like that she was catapulted back into reality, her befuddled brain finally putting the pieces together. The warm chest, the strong arms, the entrancing blue eyes: she was latched on to Jason Grace.

Heat crept up her neck when it dawned on her just how close they really were. She was cradled in his lap, one hand twisted in his blonde hair and the other tangled in his shirt. Her face was just level with his neck, his Adam's apple sitting tantalizingly before her. Their chests were flush against each other and _that_ didn't leave much to the imagination. She was mortified to say the least to find herself in such a position, and yet she couldn't pull herself away. _What a great time to realize how hot the stupid guy is,_ she snapped furiously at her stupid hormones.

"Are you alright? Rachel come on, say something." he urged gently, his voice thick with concern. He looked over her head at someone and she could see the tension in his jaw. _How long have I been out?_, she wondered.

"Her powers must be reacting to being around so many souls at once. We should never have brought her here. Damn it this is my fault!" a soft voice cursed. She could hear it shaking with guilt and worry and that caught her attention. She knew that voice well, because it had always been the quietest yet most powerful.

"Nico?" she croaked weakly. Her voice cracked on the end, making her wince. Her throat was unbelievably dry, as if she'd been in the desert for days without water.

Jason tensed under her before relaxing. He ducked his head to look into her eyes, pulling back slightly to search her face. "Rachel are you okay?" he whispered.

Was she okay? She didn't feel sore, just exhausted. The panic and fear she'd felt had ebbed some and her heart was no longer trying to run a marathon. "I'm fine." She whispered hoarsely, finally having the sense to crawl from his lap completely.

She climbed shakily to her feet, Jason's hand holding her waist and elbow just in case. She dutifully ignored the warmth spreading where he touched her, instead focusing on her other friends. Nico was watching her, his eyes wide as saucers. The thing about Nico was that when he wasn't actively trying to keep people at arm's length, he wore his emotions on his sleeves. The guilt and concern were the most prominent, but underneath she caught traces of fear and uncertainty. She wanted to comfort him and reassure him, but she already knew that it would only make him feel worse. Percy stood just behind him, his eyes darting between the two of them. His hand hung awkwardly at his side, as if he wanted to reach out to Nico but was worried of scaring him off.

Her knees wobbled violently when she put any weight on them, but after a minute or two she was able to step completely out of Jason's firm grasp. Her eyes roamed over the low cavern they seemed to be in. The sand beneath her feet was darker than Nico's hair, and it glittered as if infused with thousands of crushed crystals. The glassy walls rose high above her head, the ceiling hidden in writhing shadows. She could hear a river bubbling and swishing in the distance and the faint sound of music even further away. There was little to no light in the cavern and an ever present chill in the air. What was more, the air itself seemed to be alive. Rachel could feel it vibrating around her like buzzing bees. She felt spiritual pressure from centuries past settling around her, and her nerves were tingling. _The spirit of Delphi is stronger down here than in the mortal world. I wonder what else I can do,_ she thought.

Jason handed her a small bottle of water, which she accepted gratefully. "I can't give you nectar since you aren't a demigod. This will have to do for now." He waited until she'd drank half the bottle before allowing her to hand it back. The liquid felt good going down her throat and helped to ease away the last of her fears, at least momentarily. "Are you sure you're okay Rach?"

She threw him a dirty look at the nickname. "I'm fine, just a little dizzy. I don't even know what happened." She took a look at herself, assessing the damage. Besides being covered in the glittering black sand, she couldn't see or feel any bruises.

Nico ducked his head, biting his bottom lip. "I lost control when we broke through. There's never been a barrier around Hades before, but there was one when we tried crossing over. I had to use a lot more energy to get past it, but in the process I almost let go of you."

Rachel blinked at him. "What happens if you "let go?" He clenched his fists tighter and refused to meet her eyes.

"You'll get trapped in the shadows and eventually die. You slipped for just a moment, but it was enough to knock you unconscious. The minute your essence began separating from mine your spiritual powers were sucked dry, and most of your life with it. I-I wasn't sure if you were going to wake up." His voice cracked at the end and he seemed o draw in on himself.

She debated whether or not it would make matters worse before she reached over and drew him into a tight hug. "Don't beat yourself up Neeks. You got us through and managed to save my life. It wasn't your fault."

Nico bristled at the stupid nickname, but didn't attempt to pull away. Rachel smiled and hugged him tighter. The boy hardly ever let anyone touch him, let alone hug him, and yet here he was allowing her affection. Maybe it was guilt, or maybe he just craved it a little, whatever the reason it felt nice hugging him. Her eyes met Percy's briefly and for a moment she saw a flicker of jealousy in his sea green eyes. _Oh honestly! Boys and their stupid possessiveness! _She pulled away. "Now, which way to Tartarus?"

Nico seemed hesitant and unsure of himself, and he still refused to meet her eyes. Rachel looked helplessly at Percy, unsure what more she could do to convince him that she was alright and it wasn't his fault. He shook his head stiffly, as if to say he'd take care of it later. _I guess I'm out of my league here. _She wasn't sure how Percy planned to take care of it, but she had faith he would be able to. She just prayed that he'd do it before they entered Tartarus.

Jason clamped a hand on her shoulder and she jumped a foot in the air. She'd forgotten about the son of Jupiter while dealing with Nico. She felt a blush creeping up her skin, the warmth of his body glossing over her back. He was close enough to touch and she was certain that if she turned around she'd be eye level with his chest. The thought made her heart thrum and her blood boil. _Stupid hormones! Can we forget for one second Jason is hot? He has a girlfriend! _

"I don't think we should go to Tartarus." he said. Nico's head snapped up, his jaw hanging to the floor. Percy had one eyebrow raised incredulously as if Jason had sprouted another head. Rachel twisted around, hoping to see a playful smirk on his handsome face, but he looked determined and concerned.

"Jason we have to go. The prophecy told us to look below the land of the damned and unless the gods have done major renovating I'm positive they meant Tartarus. I'm fine; there's no reason to abort the mission because I got a little sick."

Jason looked down at her, his expression unreadable, before addressing Nico. "Something about this doesn't seem right. You said you'd never had trouble crossing over before, yet there was a barrier of some kind around Hades. It was strong enough to repel you and you have home field advantage. I just feel like we're walking into a trap."

Rachel had to admit he did have a point, but it didn't matter. They still had to get to Tartarus one way or the other. "What do you think we should do then?" she asked quietly.

"Maybe we should go back and talk to Chiron. He warned us to stay away and I'm sure this is what he meant. Hades is trying to keep something or someone out for a good reason. I don't know what it is, but it has your dad spooked."

Nico considered this for a moment, his fists clenching and unclenching. "Okay, maybe we do need to go back, but we need to know why that barrier is there. I'm not sure I'll be able to get us back through a second time. We need to ask my dad what's going on."

Rachel tensed, a shiver running down her spine. _Delphi is afraid. My instincts are screaming for me to stay away from Hades at all costs. _"Are you sure that's a good idea Nico?"

He blinked before his mind caught on. He blushed sheepishly. Jason looked between the two of them confused. Nico, noticing this, hastened to explain. "When my mother was killed Hades placed a curse on the oracle. He trapped her in a body that mummified. The spirit of Delphi could not switch bodies again until my father lifted the curse. After the Battle of Manhattan he freed her and she chose Rachel as a host. I'm sure the spirit isn't keen on being around him again."

Jason's face darkened ever so slightly and he stepped closer to Rachel as if prepared to fight then and there. "He won't hurt her." he vowed, his voice steely.

"I know he won't. My dad let that go; otherwise Rachel would have died when the spirit tried to take her. Percy, what do you think we should do?"

They turned their attention to the son of Poseidon. He had remained silent throughout the conversation so far, but he was as a part of the team as the rest of them. He sighed and kicked at the sand, a black cloud billowing around his feet. "I agree that we need to speak with Hades, but I don't like the idea of Rachel being close to him. It's obvious her powers are amplified down here, so there's no telling what will happen when she's that close to a beacon of power like that."

"You can't leave me behind! I know I'm not much help in combat, but I'm not helpless! That isn't fair Percy." Rachel clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. "I'm tired of sitting back and waiting. Anytime you guys leave I'm left behind waiting to see who won't come back. I don't see everything like you guys believe." She felt her eyes pricking with tears, but she fought them back angrily. "I refuse to sit back on this one. Hecate approached _me_ Percy; I can't run away from this. I need to fight alongside my friends and if I get hurt it's an occupational hazard. I can't fathom losing any of you. This time the stakes are higher and I'm not sure who will or won't come back. Please Percy."

Percy stepped into her personal space and pulled her into a tight hug. He released her just as quickly before meeting her eyes sadly. "We're not leaving you behind. I'm not stupid enough to think we can pull this off without you Rachel. You're as strong as the rest of us and essential to our team. But you can't go to see Hades. It's too dangerous, and we aren't sure what is really going on here. We can't afford something to happen to you down here. You aren't a demigod so we can't give you ambrosia or nectar for healing. Besides, Chiron is less likely to skin you alive for disobeying him." He pouted slightly at that before continuing. "I think two of us should go see Hades while the other two deal with Chiron."

Rachel felt the tension ease from her muscles and nodded. "Alright, if that's the case then I'll go speak with Chiron."

Jason frowned. "Nico would have to go with you. I'm not sure Hades would appreciate both his brother's children gallivanting around in his realm. He'll kill us."

Percy smiled. "I can call Ms. O'Leary. She's a hellhound so she can shadow travel just as well as Neeks over there." He swiftly side stepped Nico's elbow to the ribs. "She'll take Rachel back to camp with you or me."

"Percy is staying with me." Nico declared. When met with curious stares he cursed lowly in Greek. "This whole mess got started when he was attacked. I know for a fact I didn't kill that thing that attacked him, but I have advantage here. If it goes after him I can wipe it out easily."

Percy looked indignant. "I don't need protection!"

Nico rolled his eyes. "I didn't say that seaweed brain! I simply said I'd feel better if I knew you were one hundred percent safe."

"I'm older than you! Aren't I supposed to be the one taking care of you?"

"I'll remember that next time a psycho ghost lady is sucking you dry while you sleep!"

Rachel felt the heat rush to her face at the double meaning of the words. She tried to suppress a giggle behind her hand. Jason was trembling behind her, biting fiercely into his fist to keep from laughing. Percy raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his face. Nico's face went from pale to beet red in half a second. His eyes grew as wide as saucers and his mouth gapped like a fish. He shook his head frantically, his hands waving around him.

"W-wait I didn't mean…I meant to say that she was…oh shut up Percy!" He glared daggers at all of the older teens. They couldn't hold back their laughter any longer, and were falling over each other clutching their stomachs. "I swear I hate you." he mumbled.

Percy still grinning from ear to ear slung an arm over his shoulder. "Whatever, I know you love me Neeks."

Rachel didn't think it was possible, but Nico turned even redder, ducking his head in embarrassment with a small smile on his face. Naturally, Percy was oblivious. _I swear guys can be so stupid. I'm going to beat him if he keeps this up. _

When they had collected themselves several minutes later, Percy called for his precious hellhound. As expected, it took some time for her to find them and she looked tired. The barrier must have been slightly stronger after their earlier intrusion. When Rachel pointed this out, Nico shook his head. "I'll lend her some of my strength. Our combined power should get you back through, but I'm not sure how long she'll have to rest before you can come back."

Jason nodded, assuring them that they'd give her plenty of time to recuperate before returning. He helped Rachel climb onto the hounds back, and sat close behind her. One hand gripped Ms. O'Leary's soft black fur and the other wrapped snuggly around her waist. Rachel pointedly ignored Nico and Percy's twin smirks and suggestive eyebrow waggling. _When you two get over yourselves and get together I swear I'm going to make your lives miserable! _Percy whispered something to the hound and seconds later the shadows were swirling around the trio. She smiled and waved to the boys as darkness overtook her.

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><p>Balance is a universal law without rhyme or reason. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. For every good deed there is an evil deed. For every smile there is a tear. It was a simple fact of life that the universe had a way of balancing itself. In the demigod world, this balance could cause great joy or catastrophe. They knew to be weary when good fortune was abundant and remain hopeful when bad luck was abounded. It was the way they'd grown accustomed to after years of strife and happiness dancing around each other. Rachel was not a demigod; she did not believe that this was the fate of man. She did not agree that a person could never enjoy happiness without pain; but then again she'd had her fair share of both. She refused to believe it, even as she stared blankly at the remains of Camp Half-blood.<p>

Camp Half-blood was a haven for demigods across the country. In summer, the little valley was awash with a sea of dark green grass and strong, lush trees. The lake and river was a dark and lustrous blue, the sun dancing across its surface like thousands of diamonds. The cabins were gleaming with a fresh coat of paint, their parents' insignias waving in the warm breeze. Nymphs, satyrs, myriads, and campers littered the landscape. The sound of music could be heard high into the heavens amidst the squeals and catcalls of campers pulling pranks and hanging out. Naturally the Ares and Aphrodite cabins were at all out war with one another, both vying for dominance while Athena cabin tried to silence the quarrel. And separate from the rest were the largest cabins. They each were beautiful in their own might and inhabited by one individual. The only building bigger in size was the Big House. It was home to so many, including Rachel and Jason. But they weren't looking at their home any longer.

The ground was black and ashen. Trees lay on their side, others burned to crisps. The lake was dry, the waterbed cracked. A few cabins were rubble on the ground, the others barely standing. Rachel realized with horror that the lumpy masses on the ground were the other campers. She felt a lump well in her throat. Her heart wasn't beating, her lungs weren't working, and her brain was muddled. Everything was destroyed; their home was gone. She heard a choked, inhuman wail so close, but she couldn't fathom what tortured creature could make such a sound. Tears splashed down her cheeks and she realized it had come from her own mouth.

"Rachel look at me. Rachel please look at me." A small voice whispered in her ear. On auto pilot she turned until she found herself staring at Jason. His face mirrored hers perfectly, but there was something else in his eyes. Righteous anger seemed to roll off of him in waves and he seemed at breaking point. Rachel realized that his skin was rippling with electricity. _He's losing control. He needs an anchor, anything. Where's Piper? _

She looked back at the remains of her camp, as if she'd find her among the others. She even felt for her aura, but there was nothing. Piper wasn't there. Jason's hand tightened painfully around her and she returned her gaze to him. His eyes were glowing, a twisted snarl on his face. She had never seen him like this, and was certain by the way his body temperature was skyrocketing it would be her last.

"Jason calm down! Look at me, it's Rachel. Jason please stop before you hurt us everyone is still alive; they're just unconscious." She gripped his shoulders tightly, shaking him. He didn't seem to hear her. He slid off of Ms. O'Leary and drew his sword, Juno's Gladius, and raised it into the air. The clouds swirled, the air crackled with electricity. Jason's face was tortured, tears staining his cheeks. _He's going to kill us._

"Do not be melodramatic my child. The boy will only kill himself. He will not be able to control that lightening when it comes, that I am certain." whispered a sweet voice. Rachel spun around, eyes falling on Hecate. The witch was watching the scene with an amused smirk.

"Y-you! What did you do? Why did you attack our camp?" Rachel yelled.

The witch scoffed. "Your precious camp is fine child. I am very disappointed in you Rachel Elizabeth Dare. For all of your power, you were tricked by a simple illusion. I expected as much from the boy, but not from you."

Rachel blinked at her incredulously. "An illusion? This isn't real?" she squeaked. Rachel felt her eyes stinging as she looked at the destruction before her disappear. The camp looked exactly the way it should with everyone in their proper place. Nothing had happened to them. Her home was safe. Anger roared like a furnace in her chest. "What is the point of this you monster?"

Hecate smiled broader. "The point will be made clear later. It's all within the prophecy darling. Right now, however, is your test. Save the boy from himself or watch him die. It doesn't matter to me; only three are essential to the prophecy anyhow."

Rachel gulped and looked at Jason. The ground beneath his feet was crumbling. His skin was ghostly white and his lips blue, but his eyes remained unseeing and crazed. He was dying right in front of her. She turned back to Hecate. "What do I do? How do I save him?"

"A bond broken, another preserved." The witch said simply. Before Rachel could ask another question she disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

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><p>Percy cursed himself and his weakness. He clenched his teeth in frustration. <em>Be strong Rachel. I know you can save Jason. You can beat Hecate. <em>Despite his guilt, a sense of relief washed over him. He had kept his side of the bargain.

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: Hi! I know it's been a while, but I'm back! These last two months have been horrible for me. I lost two best friends in an accident and ended p in the hospital myself. It's safe to say I'd lost my will to write (they loved my stories) for a while there. I'm happy to say that I'm good now, so I'll start updating regularly again! I hope you guys can forgive me! Love you all! <strong>


	8. Promises

The last time Percy had been in the underworld had not been a pleasant experience. The god of the dead had made it all too clear that Percy's life meant little to him, that he'd love nothing more than to watch him suffer in death. Add on that he'd locked him in a dungeon and one could understand Percy's hesitance the closer they got to his palace. Of course the trip down memory lane made him remember that Nico had played a role in that little venture. Percy wasn't petty; he'd let that go a long time ago. Nico had had his back countless times since then, had always protected him when he couldn't save himself. Again he thought of the horrible day when he'd almost lost Nico because the stupid demigod had tried to save Percy from a sneak attack.

Percy glanced to his left at the quiet teen. His face was blank, his mask firmly in place. Nico was a hard nut to crack, always hesitant to let anyone see him for who he was. Not that anyone could blame the kid. His life had perhaps been the hardest out of all of theirs, and they'd all been through rough crap. His mother had been blown to bits right in front of him, his memory wiped clean, locked in a hotel for years, his sister died shortly after they were kidnapped from the place, his father despised him for a while, and on top of that he'd held on to a comrade as they died. Percy would admit that he had not been Reyna's biggest fan, but her death had hit everyone in both camps. She'd gone down valiantly, taking Octavian with her, but Nico had been the one she'd reached out to in her final moments. She'd accepted that her wounds were too critical to be healed, but she'd held on long enough to give her final words to Nico. No one knew what she'd said, and no one dared ask, but something in him had changed after that day. He'd lost so much, been forced to grow up too fast. It wasn't fair, but he wasn't one to complain; he bottled up everything.

As if reading Percy's mind, Nico turned and met his eyes. It may sound biased, but Percy could not deny that they were the most beautiful eyes in the world. They were a swirl or rich chocolate and honey. When the light caught them just right little gold flecks seemed to dance around his irises. Apart from that, if someone looked deeper they'd see Nico for who he was. His soul was reflected in them the intensity in their gaze could freeze an enemy or compel one to act. When he wasn't actively trying to brood the light danced in them, amusement and contentment twinkling. They were captivating to say the least, and at that moment Percy found himself falling in them.

"PERCY!" Nico shouted, yanking him from his psych. "Are you deaf or something? What the hell are you staring at? Is something on my face?"

Percy felt his face heat up. He wanted to say that he was staring at the person he loved most in the world. He wanted to stop him right there and kiss him softly and tell him there was nothing there that didn't belong. But he couldn't do that; his relationship with Nico wasn't like that. "Sorry, you're fine I was just thinking." He returned his gaze to the path before them, feeling heat creep up his neck.

"Oh." Nico said quietly, prompting Percy to look at him again. He was no longer looking at Percy, instead focusing ahead of them. Something about his expression struck a nerve. Percy didn't know why he did it, but he stopped suddenly in his tracks and grabbed Nico's elbow tightly. The younger teen stopped and glared at him, yanking his arm away. "You got a problem Percy?"

"Why do you always do that?" he asked angrily. In his head he was berating himself for acting like a little kid, but it was too late to stop his actions now.

Nico looked at him like he was crazy. "What do I always do? I didn't do anything to you!"

"You keep everyone out Nico and it's frustrating. Are you still beating yourself up over what happened to Rachel? She felt completely helpless looking at you blame yourself. We're your friends and you shut us out."

Nico's teeth clenched. "You're a fucking idiot Percy Jackson. You don't know anything!" He turned on his heel to walk away but Percy grabbed his arm again.

"What don't I know? I've known you for years Nico, years! You always do this when someone gets hurt and it has to stop. You're going to kill yourself holding everything in. Even Bianca-" Whatever else he'd been trying to say was lost in the wind. It took Percy a second to realize that Nico had punched him in the jaw. The boy was staring wide eyed at what he'd just done, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. _Shit, I didn't mean to go that far. _He dropped his hand quickly and tried to calm him down. "Nico…I'm sorry I shouldn't have mentioned her."

The son of Hades backed away from him, his jaw working furiously. "You'll never know anything about me. Your mother is still alive. You've never had siblings to cherish and look up to. You've always saved people Percy; you're the beacon of hope. And me? I'm the child of death; wherever I go I feel the dead. Anyone I ever remotely cared about is dead. You don't know anything."

"I'm not dead Nico." Percy declared boldly. "Rachel, Jason, and I aren't dead and you care about us…don't you?"

Nico opened his mouth to respond when something black slammed into him. Percy watched in shock as he was thrown against the ground a few meters away, a choked off scream dying as the air whooshed from his lungs. The creature that had hit him stood to its full height and bore down upon him. Percy didn't hesitate. He uncapped Riptide and charged the creature while it focused on Nico. He didn't get far.

Something slammed into his side, sending him careening to the ground. Percy rolled to his feet and swung Riptide as the creature lunged for him again. The creature dodged and swiped at him with long, black talons. He jumped back, the claws barely missing his head. To his right he could hear Nico struggling to fight off his opponent and he dared to glance at him. Nico was locked in combat with two of the winged monsters, sweat gleaming on his brow. He seemed to be doing alright for the moment, but the creatures were strong and fast; he wouldn't last much longer against both of them.

"Pay attention boy." His opponent hissed, swinging and striking him. Percy groaned, feeling his cheek spilt open. She went for him again and Percy managed to cut one of her wings. She screamed, prompting her sisters to turn and glare in their direction. Percy gasped, finally recognizing their attackers. Well, he recognized Ms. Dodds. She growled, her red eyes narrowing on him immediately.

"Megaera, kill the boy; he is useless to us!" she hissed at the Fury he was currently battling.

Her sister hissed at her, holding her wing in her hand. "I know what I must do Alecto, do not pester me!" She turned back to him, barring her teeth. "I will enjoy killing this one. You be careful to not harm that one."

Alecto grinned evilly and it sent shivers down her spine. "Do not worry sister darling. I will deliver the boy to master more or less alive."

Percy tightened his hands on Riptide and prepared himself for the attack. It didn't take a genius to figure out they were after Nico. He was collateral and therefore could be killed. The only thing bothering him was that they were after _Nico. _They were Hades' most loyal servants and therefore yielded to Nico. Why were they attacking him?

Megaera lunged at him and Percy barely managed to side step her claws. He stumbled backwards into a pillar. The fury went for him again and this time he deflected her talons with his blade. She hissed and continued the assault, hammering away at him. He grunted, only able to dodge her hits as they struck closer to his head and face. Her eyes gleamed with bloodlust, but there was something off about them. They seemed murky and unfocused even though she was staring directly at him.

He heard a sharp intake of breath and turned to see Nico on one knee clutching his side and breathing heavily. Alecto stood over him covered in golden powder, her face twisted in raw anger. "You're mine honey." she growled silkily. Percy watched in frozen horror as she lashed out with her whip and struck Nico across the face. He'd tried to raises his blade to defend himself, but it was too little too late. He slumped over sideways, his sword falling with a clunk to the ground.

Time slowed in that moment. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Nico's unconscious body lying there helplessly. His heart was beating in his ears as he watched Alecto grab him roughly by the collar and drag him to his feet. Nico groaned and weakly tried to bat her hands away and she grinned at his futile protests. That was what did it, that shit eating grin. Percy felt his blood roaring. Something in him snapped and a bloodlust settled over him unlike any other. He forgot about Megaera completely and charged Alecto.

The fury tossed Nico to the ground and fixed her beady eyes on him. "I'll make quick work of this, honey." She lunged at him with that grin firmly in place.

Without hesitation, Percy thrust Riptide at her chest the minute she was too close to dodge. The fury howled in pain and wiggled to escape, but Percy wasn't having it. His vision was bathed in crimson, and he wanted nothing more than to see her suffer. He felt a familiar tug in his gut and focused on that energy. She would pay for hurting Nico, for daring to touch him. He was supposed to protect the ones he loved, especially that boy. She had no right.

Alecto's eyes widened in fear as she gazed up at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was choking and gurgling. Percy clutched tighter, willing her blood to fill her hideous lungs. He willed it to expand within her skull and body, stretching her skin to the breaking point. She squeaked and clawed at his arm, her eyes begging him for release, but he ignored her. She would never touch Nico again, not if he could help it.

"W-what are you doing to my sister boy?!" Megaera screeched, but she didn't approach. Percy through her a withering glare and noticed that her eyes were no longer red, but a silvery black color. She seemed frightened and confused. "Stop it this instance!"

He ignored her and continued to torture Alecto with all of his fury. She was no longer fighting back, but he was prolonging her death. He would let her go when he felt she'd learned her lesson. Calmness settled over him. It felt right to do this, the power to bring his enemies to their knees….

"P-Percy…stop." a small voice pleaded. It hit his ears like a hammer and made him step back, dropping his sword. Alecto gasped and exploded into a cloud of golden dust, his sword settling into the black sand. He felt dizzy all of a sudden as the anger left him, but he looked for the source of that voice. His eyes landed on Nico, who was leaning heavily on his own sword. He was still clutching his side and breathing laboriously. "Percy…" he gasped before collapsing once again.

That snapped him out of his stupor and Percy rushed over to him. He pulled Nico into his lap, his hand framing his face tenderly. Nico stared up at him through half lidded eyes, his mouth open as he struggled to breathe. "Nico where does it hurt? Come on stay with me."

He numbly felt around for the source of his discomfort, pressing lightly along his skin. Nico yelped in pain when he barely touched his side, his face contorting in pain. Whispering apologies, Percy gently lifted up his shirt to assess the damage. His side was swollen; the skin stained a horrific purple and blue mixture. It looked as if several of his ribs had been broken. Percy gritted his teeth, willing himself to keep control. _I need to get Nico to his palace and fast. _

He wanted to beat himself for his stupidity, for not protecting the person that mattered to him most in the world. He should have been paying attention to their surroundings, should have expected something like this to happen. "Damn it Nico I'm so sorry. I'm going to take care of you okay? I won't let anything else hurt you. I'll keep you safe."

The younger teen weakly gripped his wrists. "Percy…I-I" he cringed and folded in on himself. A tear leaked sown his cheek and he bit his bottom lip to keep from screaming. After a minute he released a strangled breath and fixed his eyes determinedly on Percy. "I do care about you." He mumbled before passing out.

Percy held him tightly against his body and stood carefully. He looked over his shoulder at Megaera who was staring at him fearfully. "I'm sorry for what I did to your sister, but I don't regret protecting him. Please, I swear on the River Styx that if you take me to Hades' palace I will be in your debt."

The fury swallowed, assessing the two of them with cold eyes before she nodded. "Come with me."

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><p>The last time Percy had seen the god of the underworld had been when they defeated Gaea. For the first, he could honestly he was afraid of the god. He witnessed firsthand the destructive power of Hades, the immense arsenal of demons that he commanded at will. The floor beneath him had crackled with dark power, even Poseidon had stayed out of his path. And when Nico had been injured he'd erupted, slaying more than half of Gaea's forces with one swoop. It had definitely been a great help at that point.<p>

Point is, Percy had gained a new respect for Hades. That left him at a dilemma now as he stood before the god, holding his unconscious and badly injured son in his arms. He didn't trust Megaera enough to let her carry the boy and he had to feel Nico's heart to control his anger. But even then he knew his fury was nothing compared to his father's. The god's face was etched with a mixture of shock and ire when Percy stepped through the door of his throne room. He felt a twinge of fear for his life in that moment.

"What did you do to my son Jackson?" he thundered, standing from his throne. His magnificent robe swirled around him and the room darkened. A chill set in on the room; Percy could see his breath every time he exhaled. "Well? Answer me!"

Percy resisted the urge to run. Instead he stood tall and met Hades' eyes. "We were attacked by your furies. They were trying to kidnap Nico and take him to someone. Alecto finally brought him down and Megaera led me here."

Hades' eyes glinted. "Alecto did this to him?" he asked in disbelief. If possible the temperature in the room dropped lower. Nico convulsed against him, his body trembling. Percy nodded and the god turned his gaze on Megaera who stood in the shadows. It was cliché, but Percy was certain looks could kill if Hades had anything to say about it. The fury was shaking from head to foot, her eyes downcast. "You demons attacked my son?"

_They actually attacked your son and me, just saying, _Percy thought bitterly, but kept his mouth shut. It didn't think it wise to put himself in the spotlight of such a malevolent god. Megaera nodded stiffly. When Hades raised his fist she dropped to her knees, begging for mercy and forgiveness.

"My lord, please have mercy on my sisters and I. We were not ourselves I swear it! All I remember is Jackson torturing my sister to death." She snarled his name and pointed a gnarled finger at him. "Repay your debt Jackson and tell him that we did not intend to harm the young prince."

_Am I invisible to these people?! They had no problem trying to kill me! _"I can't say for sure, but their eyes were bright red and clouded when we were fighting. Then they turned black."

Hades seemed to consider this and with a flick of his hand Megaera disappeared into a cloud of smoke. Percy waited silently and focused on Nico, who had begun sweating profusely. He frowned, running his hand over the boy's forehead. His skin was hot to the touch. _Must be a side effect of being hit with Alecto's whip. _Nico shuddered against him. Percy held him tighter, gritting his teeth in frustration. _God Nico I'm so sorry for letting you get hurt like this. _

"Jackson," said a steely voice. Percy looked up into the black eyes of Hades. The god had shrunken himself until he was the size f an average man, but even then he towered over Percy, making him seem small. And with good reason. Right now he was staring at him so intensely Percy felt that he'd be incinerated on the spot. "Do enlighten me as to why my son is in such a position."

Percy gulped. "We were on our way here to speak with you and we were attacked. Two of them ganged up on Nico but they seemed to be holding back…well Alecto wasn't. He managed to take one of them down before she gained the upper hand. Meg came after me, and she didn't hold back. Apparently I was just collateral, they wanted Nico all along."

Hades looked briefly at his son and a dark shadow crossed his face. "And why were you coming to speak with me Jackson?"

Percy refused to drop his gaze, but he could feel his knees wobbling under such a gaze. "Nico was concerned that there was a barrier around the underworld. He found it difficult to cross over and was wondering if something had happened."

The god took a step closer, until Nico was cradled between them. The power radiating from him was enough to knock Percy flat on his back, but he held his ground. "And why were you attempting to enter the underworld? Did that blasted centaur not deliver the message to you all? Did he neglect to inform you that we strictly forbid this quest?"

He had nothing to say to that. He dropped his gaze, staring at Nico's face. It was shiny with sweat and contorted in pain, even in unconsciousness. He knew that Hades was furious with him, with all of them, for disobeying a direct order, but he didn't understand. Percy couldn't abandon them nor could he turn them in to Chiron. The prophecy had been spoken and he wasn't prepared to see what would happen if they ignored it. But he didn't want anyone to get hurt. Truth be told he partly blamed Hecate. The stupid witch had told him to send Jason and Rachel away, and he'd done just that only for them to be ambushed after. He wondered if she'd known all along what would happen.

"I'm very disappointed in you Jackson. You may be my least favorite demigod, but I can admit you've always chosen the right path when it mattered most. That is admirable in a human your age. Even the Athena girl is weak in that aspect, for even with her brain power she lacks the courage needed to know when to stand down and retreat. Yet now you disobey a direct order from the gods themselves. You bring my son to me battered and broken after he nearly died to save your life. Have you anything to say for yourself?"

Percy swallowed thickly and finally looked back up at the god. "I never wanted Nico to get hurt. I-I can't bear the thought of him suffering because of me. You may hate me, but I do care about him and I promise that I will protect him. I will never let him get hurt again."

Hades was silent for a moment and Percy was sure he would be dead in the next second. Everything he had said was true. He had disobeyed Chiron and the gods against his better judgment and he'd allowed Nico to be harmed after everything the boy had been through. But that didn't mean Percy didn't care. He'd gladly give his life to protect Nico, but in this one instance he'd failed. It would not happen again. Maybe Hades would not forgive or believe him, but as long as Nico trusted him he'd be his guardian.

Finally after a tense silence the god stepped back warily. "Take him to his room; he needs rest. Do not leave this palace until your friends arrive."

Percy nodded and quickly moved towards what he believed to be a hall. "Jackson." He stopped and turned in his tracks. Hades was no longer looking at him, but his back and shoulders were taught, his hands fisted in anger. "The journey you shall embark on will test more than your strength. Your powers will not help you. My son is your biggest asset, making him the target. I do not know who is after him, but they are here in my realm and they are powerful. Protect him. I entrust his life to you. If my son dies on this quest I will have your soul. You will never find rest in my realm if he does not return to me breathing and very much alive. Are we clear Jackson?" He glanced over his shoulder at the son of Poseidon.

Percy met his gaze dead on. "I promise you this: if Nico dies you won't have to worry about waiting for my death." He looked down once more at the son of Hades before meeting his eyes once again. "If Nico dies I will gladly surrender my life to you."

* * *

><p><em>His presence was close. She could feel his aura distinctly amongst the dead, like a beacon in the darkness. Her mouth watered at the delicious scent wafting up her nose. Never before had she tasted such sweet power, the bitter taste of his misery and confusion icing on the cake. The furies had failed, but it did not worry her. Soon she'd have him, the son of Hades…<em>

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: Hey again! This update was faster than intended, but I'm still attempting to get back into your good graces. The action is picking up, but still slow enough for my tastes. Trust me the wait will be worth it. And for those of you wondering when Nico and Percy will finally get together…guess you'll have to keep reading to see. Anyway, enjoy reading and review! I need to know what you think my lovely readers! <strong>


	9. Gone

**Warning: There will be multiple point of view changes in this chapter. Each will be marked accordingly. Enjoy!**

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><p><em><strong>Nico<strong>_

_He was surrounded by warmth and the smell of the sea. It was subtle, but strong enough to make him picture a white sandy beach and crystalline blue waves glittering in the sun. Nico imagined basking in the sun's warmth with his toes buried in the sand. As it was, he was snuggled in his bed back at Camp Half-blood, a warm body snuggled next to his. He smiled to himself, tracing his fingers lightly up the arm wrapped around his waist. The tanned and muscular arm tightened possessively, pulling him back against a firm chest. The heat rolling off of his bedmate made him shiver. Nico rolled over until he was facing his partner. _

_Sleepy and confused eyes stared at him. "What's wrong Nico?" he asked huskily. He unconsciously snuggled closer until they were nose to nose. "Was it a bad dream?"_

_Nico reached up and gently cupped his cheek. Percy leaned into his touch. "No, I'm fine. Go back to sleep." _

_Percy held his gaze before leaning in and gently pressing his lips against Nico's. His lips were warm and incredibly soft. Nico wanted to deepen the kiss, to taste them with such ferocity that neither of them could breathe, but he allowed Percy to pull away. A second later he was sound asleep, his breath tickling Nico's face. The older demigod looked so vulnerable in sleep, igniting an overwhelming need to protect him in Nico. He loved watching him like this. _

_Nico lightly brushed hair from the demigod's forehead before closing his eyes and snuggling closer. He wrapped his arms around the older teen's waist and allowed himself to be lulled into sleep by Percy's intoxicating aroma and the steady thrum of his heartbeat. He sighed as unconsciousness began to take him. He felt himself drifting as sleep gradually caused his brain to shut down. His heart slowed down and he couldn't seem to piece together a rational thought apart from "Sleep is good; sleep is life. _

_The bed shifted beside him, but Nico was too far gone to care. Percy was an antsy sleeper, always jerking or rolling or talking. He remembered when the other had literally had a conversation with himself for a good thirty minutes. Not only that, but the son of Poseidon had a habit of sleep walking occasionally. Having to track him down and explain to the highly amused (and probably turned on) Aphrodite campers that he wasn't in control of himself was not a pleasant experience. All that is to say, Nico cared and new the trouble the boy could get them in to but he was too tired to really do much until later. _

_Of course that flew out the window the minute he heard a loud bang and Percy's terrified scream. Nico sat up in a flash, immediately reaching for his weapon beside his bed. That was when he noticed that he was no longer in his cabin. He was in a cavern illuminated only by torches with blood red flames. The floor beneath his feet was ice cold, but steam was rising between cracks in the floor. Behind him he could hear a river rushing, but just below that he could hear the high pitched wails of children and moans of men and women. Skeletons littered the ground, some with Greek armor and some with Roman. There were shadows surrounding him, but these were different. They seemed to radiate the pure essence of evil. As he looked in to their depths he saw for the first time I his life true darkness._

_Percy shouted again in pain and Nico hastened toward the sound of his voice. He wasn't sure what good he could do without his sword, but he had to get Percy away from whoever had attacked him. He quickened his pace when his screams turned to pleas. He had never once heard Percy beg or plead and yet their horrid sounds echoed off the walls. Nico growled in frustration and ran harder. The air was unbearable to breathe in, but he had no choice but to inhale greedily as he raced to Percy's aid. It stung his eyes and left his throat scorched. He could feel his skin heating unnaturally and smell his clothes burning. Barely daring a glance down, he noticed that he was smoking and his feet were blistering. _

_The ground sloped downward suddenly and Nico's momentum almost sent him tumbling down the jagged slope. He stopped to catch his breath, his lungs punishing him for overworking them. He sucked in air greedily while looking over the rough and darkened landscape. Below him was a narrow trail lined with gnarled roots, dead fauna, and even more skeletons. A few minor monsters that looked more like shadows darted and poked around, but they remained hidden for the most part. The air here was different as well, the pungent odor of blood, death, and overwhelming evil permeating the atmosphere. It was darker here as well but it glowed with an eerie light. The path then broke off into three separate directions, each leading to a cavern that beckoned and repelled him. Each radiated a crippling power that Nico had never felt before. He felt immensely weak in comparison, the hope gradually leaving his body. But that wasn't even the most infuriating part. _

_Nico had only laid eyes on Hecate once, but he hadn't been paying the goddess any attention then. But now she was standing at the crossroads looking up at him expectantly. He could admit that he wasn't fond of the woman, but he was curious and never one to judge based off of others' opinions. He could also admit that Hecate was probably one of the most beautiful goddesses with her unnatural and exotic looks. Her skin was flawless, and while pale, a faint glow made it appear bronze. Her eyes were soft and calculating at the same time, never settling on any particular color. They were framed by dark lashes and perfectly manicured eyebrows. Her blood red lips were pulled down at the corners, but it did not take away from her beauty. Her dark curly hair whipped around her face, no doubt her magic power aided that feat. Her aura was intoxicating and overwhelming. He wanted more and less at the same time. _

_Without considering what he was doing he made his way towards her. In the back of his mind he remembered that he was supposed to be finding Percy, but he couldn't bring himself to change course. The entire time Hecate's eyes tracked him until he was standing right in front of her. Then she did something that would haunt Nico until his dying day. She smiled. It wasn't sweet or coy. It was hungry and bloodthirsty, as if at any moment she would sink her teeth into his flesh. He took a hesitant step back. _

"_Nico DiAngelo: the brother of Bianca DiAngelo and Hazel Levesque; the only son of Hades; the Ghost King." Her lips curled as she hissed his nickname. "I have wanted to meet you for some time now, but your father has adamantly stepped in my path." _

_Nico swallowed, realization dawning on him that this may very well be a trap. What was worse, they were both inside his head; Hecate could trap him here if she so pleased. "What do you want?"_

_The goddess stepped into his personal bubble and grabbed his chin. Her grip was like steel on his jaw and he couldn't very well snatch it away. He shivered, feeling the power slowly drain from his limbs. "I have come to warn you and give you a choice." she whispered before releasing him and stepping away. _

_He sputtered, releasing a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. "Like you did my sister?" he asked hotly. The goddess raised her eyebrows, predatory grin firmly in place. It only infuriated him more. "I'm not your damn toy. You can't manipulate me for your stupid agenda. You nearly got us killed so that you could get your revenge against Clytius! I don't want your stupid warnings." _

_In hindsight Nico could agree that perhaps angering one of the most powerful Olympians was not the smartest move. The smile dropped from Hecate's face and her eyes turned jet black. A snarl replaced her cocky smirk, twisting her face. Her aura burned black and the ground beneath her feet began to crack. Before Nico could react in any way she had him by the throat pinned against a pillar that hadn't been there before. Her grip was cutting off his air supply and he felt himself losing consciousness as he clawed at her hands. _

_She leaned in close until her breath fanned across his face. She loosened her hold just enough to let him draw in breath, but he was still dizzy. "Do not test me boy. I have no patience for demigods and therefore will not tolerate your rudeness or incompetence. Your time is running out. Forces greater than you could ever imagine are awakening and they aren't coming simply to destroy the world. They are coming to create chaos beyond your wildest dreams, to create as much strife as they possibly can. But they will not stop there. They are aiming to destroy the gods for good, but the power required to do so is great. They are tired, have been asleep too long, and their supply is running low."_

_She dropped her hand and watched pitilessly as Nico dropped gagging to the floor, clutching his chest. "They feed off of chaos and misery, the very source of it all. They need souls to regain their power."_

_Nico struggled into a kneeling position and met her steely eyes. "That's why there's a barrier around Hades. They're taking the souls from the Fields of Punishment aren't they?"_

_The goddess nodded. Nico wanted to retch. How could someone do something so terrible? Sure the people there obviously weren't saints by any means, but that did not warrant their capture. Nico wasn't naïve; he knew that there was little chance of returning the souls either. This was different from escaped souls in so many ways. This time their very being was converted to magic energy and that could never be reversed. This was beyond bad. _

_Hecate waited for him to collect himself before continuing. "It goes against my philosophy to directly aid a demigod, but these are desperate times. I'm afraid that even my magic will be useless against such enemies at the rate they are gaining power. You and Ms. Dare are the only demigods that will be able to overtake this enemy and have a chance of surviving."_

_Nico blanched at that. "We can't bring Rachel up against that kind of power. They'll kill her."_

"_Ms. Dare can do much more than simply see the future at the moment she is figuring out how to use her power to its full potential. With her connection to the very essence of mankind she can break and create bonds between individuals at will. She can control the outcome of her prophecies if she can only see the strings holding them together. Once she learns to manipulate those strings she can better guide you to the desired outcome."_

_Her words struck an odd thought. "That's what that line in the prophecy means. She can convert those stolen souls back into their original form can't she?"_

_Hecate nodded again. "But her purpose goes deeper than that. The foe that is taking them has not completely absorbed the souls, but rather is storing them in a human vessel. This vessel however cannot handle much more abuse. Anymore and it will die. They understand this and are looking for a stronger model, one that can without an endless supply of souls without suffering."_

_Nico's throat went dry. He swallowed the bile that had risen in his throat. "You mean me."_

"_I'm afraid that you are their target because the blood of Hades runs through your veins. Whether you realize the full capacity of your power or not, they do and they seek to exploit it. There will come a time when they will capture you and Ms. Dare will have to save your life. When that time comes you will have a difficult decision to make. Your choice alone will decide the outcome of this quest." _

_Nico dropped his gaze. His mind was spinning with information, piecing everything together. Things were certainly making sense now. The woman that attacked Percy had been hidden within the vessel, possibly possessing one of the campers. And it had all been a trap to draw him out into the open. He knew he'd defeated her too easily. The barrier around Hades had served a double purpose as well: to keep him out of Hades at all cost. He was in their court now and thus at a disadvantage. That was why the gods had banned their quest. They'd been protecting him. But there was something that didn't quite fit into anything at all. Hecate. She had started all of this before Percy's attack. If she knew that Nico was the target, then why give them the need to go to the underworld in the first place._

_As if reading his mind Hecate sighed. "As I said, this foe has been collecting souls for some time. They were aware that time was rapidly running out. They sought to take you then, but I intervened. I held them off as did your father, but I knew we could not do this alone. That's why I went to Ms. Dare. She had a connection to all of you and could therefore get to you all quickly. That spirit brushing past her was an accident. When it saw that you were guarded by both the spirit of Delphi and the son of Zeus it went after the next best thing. I then warned Mr. Jackson to stay away from Tartarus. I lied and told him that it was the only way he could survive. In truth it was the only way to keep you safe. I have no doubt that you can take care of yourself in battle, but if he were to be in danger you would risk your life for him. I believe that should they threaten his life you would surrender yourself. I hoped to avoid this, but demigods are stubborn and reckless." _

_Well that made the last few scattered pieces fit snuggly together. Nico stood, his gut twisting, but determined to do what needed to be done. "If this comes down to Rachel and me, we've got o choice. Where do we need to go and what do we need to do?"_

_Hecate considered him for a moment and then she smiled for the second time. This time however, it was soft and reached her eyes which were a simple chestnut. "I will give you a guide." She waved her hand and a small crystal appeared in thin air. It was completely boring and ordinary. She handed it to Nico on a thin piece of leather. "You will descend into Tartarus and find Achlys. You and Ms. Dare are the only ones that can defeat her and end this. But beware: she is older than Chaos himself and feeds from the miseries of people around her. Mr. Jackson and this creature have history and she has a vendetta against him from his last journey through Tartarus. Her strength has grown considerably since then and he will be no match for her. When the time comes you must take the son of Poseidon down. It is the only way to save his life. He cannot fight this woman and win. Do you understand?" _

_Nico nodded and placed the crystal around his neck. Hecate then touched his cheek tenderly and he felt warmth spread through his body. "I do not care much for your father after what he did to Demeter. She was a dear friend and he stole her daughter away like the fiend we all knew him to be. But he has never loved a woman like he did your mother. I spoke to her shortly before your birth and warned her the consequences. And she looked at me and told me that she would never allow you to be harmed. I have never met a mortal stronger than that."_

_Nico blushed and swallowed down the tears budding in his throat. He didn't remember much about his mother, but he could clearly see her beautiful and smiling face. Hecate's eyes seemed to be sad, lost in nostalgia. "I certainly hope you are as strong as your mother. I hope you can survive this." And without another word Hecate stepped away. Before Nico could respond she waved his hand and blackness momentarily claimed him. _

The next time Nico opened his eyes he smelled the ocean.

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><p><em><strong>Rachel <strong>_

Okay, so Rachel could admit that while tactical in most situations, under stress she made pretty stupid decisions. Case in point: Jason was in some kind of trance thanks to Hecate and about to blow himself up. What's the best thing to do? Obviously tackle said demigod. She hadn't thought it was a bad idea at the time. If she could simply draw his attention away from the desolate scene before him she could possibly snap him out of it. Yeah, that had been the initial plan. She hadn't considered the fact that he happened to be the son of Jupiter and while _his_ body was perfectly equipped to handle lightening racing up and down his body, hers was not nearly as durable. So instead of trying to knock some sense into her comrade, she was lying on charred grass with the taste of blood in her mouth.

Groaning, Rachel sat up. Her midsection was on fire, and looking down she saw that her shirt was torn and she was bleeding. It wasn't necessarily a fatal wound or anything, but it hurt enough to make her wince every time she breathed. Her clothes were still smoking slightly and her hair was a frizzy mess around her head. Her hands were red and raw from touching Jason. Her vision was doubled and fuzzy around the edges. All in all she was alive, battered, but alive. _Thank the gods I didn't try to grab his sword. _

After a few agonizing minutes Rachel was able to stagger to her feet. A blanket of black clouds had covered the sky and gale force winds were making her teeth knock together. _His powers are still out of control. We're not out of the woods yet. _She looked around and spotted the blonde sanding several yards away. His skin was deathly pale and drenched in sweat. His blonde hair was standing on end. His body trembled and if she didn't know any better Rachel would have swore he saw tiny bolts of electricity racing up and down his forearms.

She gulped and met his eyes. Of all the people she'd met, Rachel had never met anyone whose eyes could send her thoughts scattering and her knees weak. That was until she'd met Jason. His eyes were too gorgeous and too blue and looking into them for any period of time left her tongue tied. But those were not the eyes hungrily stalking her at that moment. They were the same vibrant hue and shape, but they were void of the boy she'd come to know. Darkness seemed to be present in them that dulled the light. It was as if he was possessed.

"J-Jason?" Rachel swallowed and took a hesitant step backwards. The boy tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword and took a step towards her. "Jason you have to wake up. Come on you know me. Wake up."

The next few seconds happened so quickly, but slowly at the same time. The last syllable had barely left her lips and Jason was charging her head on. His eyes were locked firmly on her own, freezing her where she stood. Her instincts were screaming for her to run, to dodge, to fight back, to do anything at all, but her feet would not move. She was rooted to the spot, suspended in utter terror. She could hear her blood roaring in her ears and her heart had leapt into her throat. Her palms were sweaty and her throat was dry. Her stomach had all but vanished and her limbs felt like lead. And, despite her body shutting down, despite the boy she'd unwittingly become infatuated with bearing down on her, she felt utterly calm.

As Jason advanced on her, Rachel could not bring herself to actually fear her friend. She could only see him as such, not as an honest threat. She did not believe for an instant that he'd suddenly stop in his tracks like in some cheesy chick-flick nor did she believe that anyone would be able to save her this time. What she did believe was that _she _was the hero this time. _She _had to save _him_. _A bond broken, another preserved. _Rachel sighed, a sad smile on her lips and a single tear leaking down her cheek. She should have known it would come to this in the end. Hecate was a goddess that presented impossible choices in hopes that demigods and man would somehow pick the right one. It was cruel, but it sorted the weak from the strong. And here she stood at her own crossroads, but Rachel knew which path she'd take. All she wanted more than anything was for Jason to be safe.

His sword plunged deep into her abdomen until the hilt was pressed against her skin. Rachel heard herself cry out in pain, felt her knees hit the hard ground below, but her eyes never broke contact with Jason's. She watched as the darkness ebbed away and the boy she'd come to care for was before her again. He was staring at her as if he'd been sucker punched and then his face was ripped apart in agony. He dropped to his knees and pulled her into his lap, against his chest. He was entirely too hot or maybe she was just too cold. His chest was solid, yet she was floating. His heart was beating against her ear, yet she heard nothing. Rachel just focused on his face, the face of the only boy she'd been remotely attracted to since Percy.

"Rachel…Rachel please stay with me. I'm going to help you. You're going to be okay, alright? Please stay with me. I'm so sorry." He continued to ramble, his arms crushing her body to him. Hot tears were falling from his eyes onto her face. It felt nice. Rachel offered him a small, broken smile. She could not speak; it was all she could offer. Jason cupped her face and pressed his lips against her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, and finally he claimed her lips for his own. The kiss was tender and full of heartbreak and unspoken, repressed emotions. Rachel wished she could have responded with such passion, but she could only offer a soft sigh.

Above her she saw a chariot descending. Jason did not see it; he wasn't meant to. Apollo sat on the seat, his eyes wide and mouth agape. The god looked sorrowful and not his usual hyperactive, laid back self. The chariot landed and he raced to her side as the darkness claimed her.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Percy<strong>_

Nico's eyes opened slowly. He blinked a couple of times before he realized the Percy hovered above him. A goofy grin stretched across his face, a blush creeping on his cheeks. Percy couldn't help but return his smile, although he felt sheepish for being caught watching the boy sleep. It hadn't been his fault exactly. Nico had been mumbling in his sleep and curiosity had him leaning closer. Well, curiosity and the overwhelming need to protect the fragile teen. Nico was formidable in battle, but in sleep he looked too innocent and vulnerable.

Still, Percy was embarrassed. He may not have heard everything the demigod said, but he did hear his name quite often. He couldn't quite describe the thrill that ran through him the first time he heard Nico sigh his name. It rolled off his tongue fluidly, like it belonged there. His voice had been soft and full of adoration, his lips tilting into a small smile every single time. He'd been amazed at first to hear his name spoken with such tenderness and that amazement slowly gave way to warmth he was unfamiliar with. Nico was dreaming of _him. He _was rocking his crush's dreams. Thinking about it made him feel that flutter all over again and he couldn't help but turn away from Nico all together.

"So I'm gathering that you can only stare at me while I'm sleeping? Doesn't that make you a creeper?" Nico quipped. Percy turned and glared at him and his shit eating grin. "It's okay if you want to look at all of this. I'm irresistible, I know." He gestured to himself waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Screw you DiAngelo." Percy deadpanned, trying to keep from laughing.

Nico's teeth flashed as his grin grew. "Not even in your dreams Jackson." He sat up, wincing slightly.

Percy turned until he was facing him completely. He leaned in until they were only a foot away from each other. "I'm sorry, what was that? As I recall _I _wasn't the one just calling _your _name in his sleep." Nico's eyes widened comically and his face flamed redder than Rachel's hair. "Care to explain what that was about Neeks?"

Nico squeaked and Percy's eyes unconsciously flickered down to his mouth. Nico's lips were perfect, not too small and not too big, and just the lightest shade of pink. At that moment they were parted slightly, and Percy could feel his breath warming his skin. All he had to do was close that twelve inch gap and claim them as his own, claim Nico as his own. It was too tempting with him so close, but Percy had to rein it in. He was supposed to protect the boy, not take advantage of him.

Percy unwillingly leaned away and decided to change the subject since Nico looked as if any minute he'd make a run for the door. He could tell without touching him that Nico's fever had gone done, but that didn't mean he was at full capacity. "How does your side feel? I fed you some ambrosia and nectar a little while ago."

Nico was looking at him strangely, almost bashfully. He seemed on the brink of saying something when he turned away instead to lift up his shirt. Percy was pleased to see that the swelling was all but gone and the bruising had lightened up some. But looking at the marred skin made Percy's blood boil. _They almost took him from me. I can't allow that to happen again. _

Before he could stop himself he reached out and lightly traced his fingers over the abused skin. Nico sucked in a breath and shivered at his touch. The sound sent heat straight to Percy's lower region, but he ignored that pointedly. The skin was obviously still very tender where he pressed, but the worst of the damage had been repaired. Still, the guilt sat like a weight on his chest. He should have been able to protect him. He had wasted his time grappling with one fury only for Nico to battle two simultaneously. _If I can't protect the people I love, what's the point of even having these powers?_

He was so lost in his own thoughts he didn't notice at first when Nico's cold hand nervously grabbed his. The boy squeezed gently and Percy stopped his ministrations long enough to meet his eyes, or rather, try to. Nico was staring down at his lap, his face and ears still burning crimson. "It isn't your fault Percy. I was careless. After I killed the first one I dropped my guard and tried to come help you. It was stupid. I'm sorry for worrying you."

And there went his self control. Percy stared at him dumbfounded for a moment before gripping his face in his hands and forcing Nico to look at him. He brought their faces so close together their noses touched. Nico's eyes were slightly confused and scared at the same time. _At least I'm not the only one. _"You always worry me you idiot. I can't help it when…when the person I love is in danger."

Nico gasped softly, but Percy didn't give him time to respond. He pressed his lips tenderly against Nico's. The boy immediately reached up and gripped Percy's shoulders and responded without hesitation. Percy took that as an open invitation and all thoughts of being gentle flew out the window. He pushed the younger demigod until he was lying flat on his back. His hands snaked down Nico's chest and settled on his waist. He nipped at Nico's bottom lip, causing the boy to shiver and melt underneath him. A part of Percy thought that this should feel wrong; he had only ever kissed Annabeth and Rachel after all. But when he gripped Nico's hips tightly and the boy gasped he dismissed those thoughts. With anyone else, it would have been the worst thing ever, but with Nico it was natural.

Percy traced his tongue over Nico's lips, asking for entrance. He smiled to himself when the boy opened his mouth. Now it was time to restrain himself. With Annabeth he'd known what she liked and didn't like, but Nico was different. Percy could tell that he was nervous and this was his first kiss. That ignited an unknown fire in Percy, knowing that he was Nico's first kiss.

He slowly explored Nico's mouth, reveling in the taste of him. His breath was minty and cool. He seemed nervous as their tongues dueled, as if unsure of himself. Percy squeezed him tighter to reassure him and continued his assault on the younger teen's mouth. After allowing him a few moments adjust to the new sensation, Percy began to let his hands wander. He moved from Nico's mouth and placed small kisses along his jaw.

"Percy!" Nico gasped when he nibbled on his earlobe. He dug his nails into Percy's shoulder as he moved on to the hollow just behind his ear. Percy could feel his pulse jumping and could barely contain his satisfaction. _He _was causing Nico to lose control, _he _was drawing out those sweet gasps from his lips. His lips found the juncture between Nico's shoulder and neck. Without hesitation he bit down and began to suck on the tender flesh. Nico's cry was unintelligible, but he didn't pull away.

Percy pulled away to admire his handiwork. Nico's eyes were blown wide, his pupils dilated. His skin was flushed a delicious shade of pink, his bite mark standing out against the skin. _Those are the only marks he should have on his skin._ His lips were slightly red and swollen. His hair was tousled and he was breathing heavily. Percy would have loved to keep going, to see just how far he could push the son of Hades, but he had to control himself. It was too early to take things too far despite what his body thought. And his body was thinking plenty.

After a few breathless moments Nico seemed to regain his voice. "Y-you kissed me." He sputtered, his cheeks flaming and the incredulity in them making Percy pause.

Wasn't that what he wanted? Had he acted prematurely? Now that he thought about it, he hadn't asked permission; he'd just dived right on in. Nico had looked frightened in the beginning…oh god did he just force himself on the son of Hades?! _I'm dead. Hades is going to string me up and torture me for all eternity. It was a fun life while it lasted._

He felt hands on his cheeks and returned to the situation at hand. Nico was beaming. His face and eyes were alight with something Percy had never seen before. "I never thought you'd actually make the first move." He hesitantly touched his lips to Percy's again before smiling shyly. "What does this mean for us….you know it doesn't have to mean anything. It-it's whatever you want. I don't mind."

That was the worst lie ever. _He honestly thinks I kissed him for nothing. Idiot. _Percy pushed him back down and straddled his lap. He leaned down until they were nose to nose again. "You're mine…you're the one I will kill myself to protect. I want more than stolen kisses Nico. I want you completely." It may not be a label, but it was how he felt. In that moment it was what they both needed; everything else could wait until later.

Well, in anyone else's life that would be the case. No, apparently in the life of a demigod meant that even tender moments like this were doomed. Nico's bedroom door slammed open, revealing Hades and Jason. Percy leapt off of Nico so fast he got whiplash. Hades' eyes narrowed at him dangerously.

"I told you my son needed rest Jackson. That was under no circumstances permission to defile him-"

"Dad!" Nico cried indignantly, but the god continued as if uninterrupted.

"- and I'd appreciate it if you would not do so in my realm of all places." He fixed him with a petrifying look that made Percy want to piss himself. Without another word Hades turned and walked away.

Jason entered the room, though he wouldn't look either of them in the eye. Nico sat up and sheepishly tried to return his hair to order. Percy turned his attention to Jason and noticed for the first time that Rachel was not with him. "Jason where's Rachel?"

The son of Jupiter continued to stare at his feet. His hands were so tight the knuckles were whiter than his skin. Now that Percy thought about it, Jason looked sick to his stomach, like any moment he'd collapse. Worry niggled at the back of his mind. He looked him over and noticed that his shirt had faint splatters of blood on them. "Jason…is that blood?" he whispered.

Nico's head shot up and he stared at Jason as if willing the blood away. Percy felt his body trembling and reached out to grip his hand. He swallowed the bile in his throat, already knowing the answer as the words left his mouth. "Jason where is Rachel?"

Finally Jason looked up at him, and it was a look that Percy would never be able to erase from his memory. It was the face of a man broken beyond saving. It was the face of a man that was burning from the inside out and there was no hope of extinguishing the flames. It was the face of a tortured soul that had been through Hell several times over. It was the face of a man that had lost someone dear to his heart. "She's gone."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Well I think I have thoroughly done my job! And yes we finally have some fluffy Percico moments <strong>** (Sorry, I'm not comfortable enough to write explicit stuff. Oh the life of a virgin.) Anyway, I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter. From now on I'll be updating every Sunday night/ early Monday morning because these next few chapters need as much time as possible. Thanks for reading and I'm sorry for the Rachel fans out there…it just happened. **


	10. Trust and Deceit

_**Jason**_

There are moments in life when rationality ceases to matter, when compassion and empathy are foreign concepts to a heavy heart. There are moments when love becomes a two edged sword that impales one with both joy and sorrow, when one yearns for and cowers under its power. There are moments when sadness and grief becomes the only anchor to the world, when anger and hatred become the ammunition to the gun. These are times that simultaneously molds and breaks the human psych. A warrior must be mature in body and mind, and to reach such a level an individual must travel through the shadowy valley and sunny mountains equally. All is balanced in the end, or at least that is nature's intention.

Guilt, however, is different. It is a poison that takes roots within the psych. At first it is a dull, subtle thrum like the beat of a hummingbird's wings. As time wears on the gentle thrum becomes a pound that clouds the mind with a thick fog of self doubt and hatred that erases rationality. After that it moves with haste, attacking the organs most vital to survival. It becomes harder to breathe and fire flares with every heart beat. Eventually the guilt has worn away all defenses, leaving behind an empty shell of a man, woman, or child. It is potent and it is lethal. Nature did not intend such a poison to exist; alas it accompanies the final stages of life.

"What do you mean she's gone?" A quivering voice pulled the son of Jupiter from the confines of his mind. He was met with furious green eyes directed at him. "What happened to her?"

Jason swallowed thickly and took a step back. He clenched his fists tightly at his side and willed himself not to cry or scream in fury. He had no right to be angry at anyone but himself. He had taken Rachel's life, no one else. He stared down at his hands, remembering holding her body and trying to stop the blood flow, but there was so much of it. He remembered her body getting colder as the minutes ticked by, her heart getting slower and slower. She'd never dropped his gaze the entire time; she even smiled a little at the end. _Why couldn't you just hate me Rachel? I killed you. Why couldn't you hate me? _

"Percy stop!" Nico cried seconds before something crashed into Jason's jaw. He crumpled to the floor, the sucker punch stronger than anticipated. He clutched at his jaw knowing that in a few hours it'd be bruised and swollen. Percy stood over him, a murderous glint in his eyes. His green eyes looked black in the dim lighting. The shadows that crisscrossed his face accented the faint scars he'd acquired over the years. His hand was still curled into a tight fist, and the other held Riptide firmly in hand.

A shiver ran up Jason's spine. For the first time ever he could honestly admit that he felt afraid of the son of Poseidon. He knew that Percy was powerful, but he'd never been on the receiving end and therefore had no logical reason to be afraid. But now, with the demigod towering over him he knew what it felt like to be utterly paralyzed in fright. Percy had every right to be angry with him and Jason couldn't blame him. They had trusted him to protect Rachel and instead he'd killed her.

Nico stepped between the two of them and placed his palms flat against Percy's chest. "Percy, you have to let him explain. Calm down before you do something you regret." The son of Poseidon turned his steely gaze to Nico and his face softened fractionally. He nodded softly and capped Riptide, returning it to his pocket. Nico then turned on him, his face void of emotion as he extended a helping hand. Jason accepted it and stood to his feet, willing himself to hold the son of Hades' eyes. The burning stare was penetrating him in ways he was unaccustomed to, as if the boy was searching for something.

After a moment of tense silence in which Percy subtly pulled Nico partially behind him (Jason tried not to be offended. It wasn't like he had any intention of hurting Nico) Jason found his voice. "I-I honestly can't remember much of what happened. I know we arrived to camp alright, but something was just…wrong."

"What do you mean something was wrong?" Percy asked. Nico remained silent, his gaze unwavering. Jason felt unnerved under the suspicious glare. It felt as if the son of Hades were interrogating him despite his continued silence. He felt a lump rise in his throat and decided not to dwell on it too much.

"I don't know. When we got there the camp was destroyed. It looked like an atomic bomb had been dropped. Bodies were everywhere and any buildings were still smoldering. Rachel turned to say something to me and-and…" Jason trailed off, his throat constricting painfully. He squeezed his eyes willing himself to erase the images of the carnage.

"And what? Was someone still there? Were you attacked?" Percy's voice had lost its edge. Jason reluctantly met his eyes and saw the uncertainty and concern in them. _He must be thinking about Annabeth and the others. _Jason had yet to digest the fact that Piper, his girlfriend, and Leo, his best friend, were both dead. He was still drowning in the guilt splashed crimson on his hands.

"I don't remember anything after that. W-when I came to I was holding Rachel. She'd been run through with a sword, but had several other injuries. T-there was nothing I could do to save her. She stopped breathing in seconds." His voice broke off at the end and hot tears stung his eyes. He heard a dry sob wrench its way from his throat and his body convulse with the force of it.

A firm hand squeezed his shoulder and he looked up into wet, green eyes. Percy was fighting tears, but there was fire in the irises and a determined set to his jaw. "It's not your fault Jason. Whoever this was will pay. Well find them, I promise."

The force of his words almost made hope flutter in his chest. Almost. What Percy and Nico didn't know was that he had been the one to end the young girl's life. He had delivered her wounds, he was certain of that even though he had no recollection. The guilt gnawed at his gut all the more. _I shouldn't have come here. I shouldn't be here after what I've done. I should have run myself through with the sword. _The old Roman traditions didn't seem as barbaric now that he was standing in the hot spot.

"I don't think that's possible Percy." Nico said softly. He stood rooted to the spot, his arms crossed over his chest. His mouth was turned down in a deep frown, his brows furrowed in deep thought. At their questioning glance, he sighed and reached inside his shirt to pull out a leather chord. Hanging from the old leather was a small crystal. "The camp is fine. It was an illusion."

* * *

><p><em>Piper<em>

On a scale of a one to ten, one finding out that your mother is a freaking _goddess_ (yeah, still not over that) and ten having to beat up mother nature (not a nice woman, just saying), Piper could rate the weirdness factor of the day about twenty. She was still getting accustomed to the world that is, well, her world now. She still woke up believing that everything was a dream (or nightmare in some cases), and to an empty house. Instead she found herself in a posh cabin filled with pompous, obnoxious, conceited teenagers. Come to think of it, wrong terminology. These "teenagers" were actually her half brothers and sisters. All were extremely beautiful and all were half god. Yeah, that was something that she'd never quite get used to. Outside of the cabin were a slew of other demigods just like them, training and pranking each other. This had become an odd realm of normality for Piper in a few short months, which is why today threw her for a loop.

She had been immersed in a _very_ good dream concerning a certain blue eyed demigod when she'd been shaken awake by none other than an annoying little imp. Ok, the "imp" was really a short, lean boy with curly dark hair that fell in his chocolate eyes and a mischievous smirk. "I swear Valdez I will skin you alive with my Katoptris." She groaned, sitting up. She ran a hand down her face roughly and threw him a dirty look. "What the Hell is so important?"

Leo's smirk widened and his eyes glinted gleefully. "I know you love me Pipes so your threats don't work. Anyway I would've expected you of all people to know what was going on before anyone else."

Piper groaned and rubbed her temple. _Why me? _"I'm sorry I've spent the last few hours trying to sleep. Just spill it already."

The son of Hephaestus was practically bouncing on his haunches, his eyes dancing with mischief and a grin splitting his face from ear to ear. He looked like a child on Christmas morning, making it harder to be frustrated with him. He leaned forward earnestly, his hands fumbling with his tool belt. "Well remember how a couple days ago the golden boys and super hot fortune teller were acting weird and stuff?"

Piper snorted and climbed out of bed. She began rummaging through her drawers for suitable clothes. "You know they hate it when you call them that. I'm not sure who'd kick your ass harder, Nico or Rachel?"

She heard him huff. "I'm not scared of Nico…much. Anyway, apparently last night the four of them left camp together."

Piper wheeled around on him, an eyebrow rose skeptically. "They just left? No one is dumb enough to leave without permission, let alone at night."

"Well they did, just after lights out." Leo insisted stubbornly. He pouted a little; he'd always hated when people doubted his outlandish tales.

"Come on Leo, this is _Jason_ we're talking about. This is the same kid that wants to do the whole "ask your father for permission to date you" nonsense. He doesn't break rules. And I don't think Rachel is even _allowed_ to leave without an escort."

"Then explain why their cabins are empty, Rachel is missing, and Chiron is out for blood." Leo said smugly, crossing his arms over his chest. Piper threw a pillow at him, but did not argue further. To be honest she was very worried about her four (was Rachel even her friend?) comrades ever since they appeared in the dining pavilion two days ago. They were still recovering from the war with Gaea so any excitement like that was enough to give her a panic attack. Leo was having just as hard a time as she was.

"Let's go talk to Chiron ten and find out what's really going on." She tucked Katoptris into her belt and tugged Leo out the cabin before her sisters could wake up and freak out. The camp was abuzz with excited chatter amongst the campers. A few threw furtive glances at the pair as they trudged towards the Big House. _There must be some truth to Leo's story._

They began to pass the dining pavilion when Piper spotted Annabeth storming towards them. Leo halted in his tracks to wait for the blonde, his eyes losing a little of their normal twinkle. "She looks worse every day Pipes. What are we going to do?" he asked sullenly.

Piper frowned and watched the daughter of Athena make her way to them. Leo wasn't lying about Annabeth looking worse for wear. Her blonde hair looked stringy and limp; her eyes were tired and framed in dark purple shadows; her clothes hung off her dangerously slim frame; her skin was stretched too tight over her cheekbones; and her pallor was too pale to be healthy. Her health had been deteriorating for weeks now, but it seemed to have accelerated the past few days. She refused help, insisting she was fine, but as Piper looked her over she only saw a dying girl.

"I don't know Leo." she whispered when the girl came within earshot. "Let's just be there for her okay?" Leo nodded, his lips tugged down at the corner.

Annabeth stopped in front of them and took a moment to catch her breath. "H-have you heard t-the news?" she spluttered.

Piper felt worry pool in her stomach. "So it's true? The boys and Rachel really left last night?"

Annabeth nodded breathlessly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I watched them leave. I-I wanted to stop them but there wasn't anything anyone could have done. They shadow traveled."

"Why were _you _outside after lights out?" Leo inquired. Annabeth tensed and threw Piper a pleading glance. As a fellow girl, it was easy to decipher the unspoken plea.

She turned to Leo who was staring at her quizzically. "Leo, how about you go ahead and talk to Chiron while Annabeth and I chat." She glared at him when he opened his mouth to protest. He wisely snapped his jaw shut. Piper smiled and patted his head, making him huff and stomp off. When he was a good distance away she motioned for Annabeth to follow her.

They remained silent as they walked. Piper could tell that something was wrong with Annabeth. The girl was fidgety, wringing her hands and glancing around them as they disappeared into the trees. Her body was trembling like a leaf and she seemed to have trouble concentrating. It was disconcerting to see one of her best friends falling apart right before her eyes and knowing there wasn't anything she could do to help.

The war with Gaea had done more than just physical damage. The psychological trauma was more extensive than any of them could have imagined. There were many nights that Piper found herself curled against the farthest corner of her bed, shaking and brandishing her small blade like a wild animal. The memories would come unexpectedly and cripple her. She was not a violent person, but the things she had to do showed a different side of her that she hadn't known existed. Sometimes it was hard for her to look in the mirror and differentiate between the girl she thought she was and the person she had become.

Annabeth was a different story entirely. The prophecy had singled out the daughter of Athena, pitting her against one of her mother's most dangerous enemies. And just when they'd been close enough to save her she'd fallen in to the depths of Tartarus. Annabeth had not come out the same girl and for a while Piper was not sure she was sane enough to continue the harrowing quest. But when it came down to the end and Annabeth was shielding Leo who had fallen moments before, Piper knew that there was still fire there. But even she had repercussions. She'd shared what had happened in Tartarus, her reasons for breaking up with Percy, and her fears for herself. It was amazing that she hadn't broken down before then.

They broke through the trees into a small meadow. The canopy above provided ample shade against the sun and shelter from prying eyes. (Piper and Jason had stolen away here on a few occasions when time could be spared. She couldn't imagine a more perfect evening than gazing at the stars cuddled against someone who loved her and all her quirks.) Annabeth rubbed her arm absentmindedly and began pacing. Piper willed herself not to speak; Annabeth was more open when she had time to gather her thoughts.

After a few tense minute of silence Annabeth stilled and faced her reluctantly. Piper was shocked to see fresh tears cascading down her face. "Have you ever done something horrible, something unforgiveable? You know it's horrible and its hurting the people you care about, but you can't stop doing it. Y-you're weak."

Piper swallowed thickly, racking her brain for a suitable answer. She decided on the truth. "No, I can't honestly say I have."

Annabeth ran a hand through her hair roughly. "I keep trying to stop it, but I can't fight against it. It's too strong but I was too proud to ask for help and now there's nothing else I can do to stop it."

Piper felt an eerie presence settle over the meadow. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She resisted the urge to draw her weapon. "Annabeth what are you talking about?" she whispered, eyes scanning the trees. There was no one there but she couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.

The daughter of Athena sobbed and wrapped her arms tightly around her body. "I was the reason Percy was attacked two days ago." She dropped to her knees, sobbing horribly.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Jason<strong>_

"The camp is fine. It was an illusion." Nico said flatly. He dropped the crystal against his chest and ran a hand through his hair warily. "I would have felt it if anyone had died recently. Trust me, it wasn't real."

Jason stepped back, shaking his head. It had to have been real. He closed his eyes against the fresh sting of tears. No one could create an illusion like that. The smell of smoke had been suffocating, death clinging to his skin. He could taste the blood on his tongue and hear the last stuttered breaths of the living. "It had to be real," he whispered brokenly, "it had to be."

It had to be real. If it wasn't then he'd killed Rachel for nothing. If it wasn't he'd lost control of himself for no reason. If it wasn't then he was a monster. He would never be able to wash the blood from his hands. He would never be able to forget the last look of peace on her face before she died. He would never be able to face the others ever again.

"Nico are you sure?" Percy whispered. "You were unconscious for a while. Maybe you couldn't feel anything."

The son of Hades huffed and threw him a dark look. "I wish it worked that way, but apparently it only shuts off when I consciously make it. I would have felt them die even if I was in a coma. It's not a pleasant experience and you never forget the sensation. I'm sure."

Jason tried to swallow the bile the rose in his throat but found it impossible. A freight train knocked into his chest and his vision tunneled. He felt the floor touch his knees and palms. Percy and Nico's concerned voices hammered against his skull, but they sounded warped and distorted. Hot tears dripped down his face but he couldn't bring himself to care. _I killed her for nothing. Rachel died for nothing. _

Firm hands gripped his shoulder and shook him. Jason blinked and tried to focus on his friends who were crouched in front of him. He managed to force out a stuttered deep breath. "W-who would do this?" He closed his eyes to steady himself. After a few deep breaths he met Nico's eyes. "Who did this?"

Nico sighed as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. "Hecate made the illusion. It was designed to push Rachel to use her full power."

Jason's jaw dropped. The witch was responsible for this? It seemed that everywhere they turned she seemed to be involved and it more or less lead to someone getting hurt. Only now it resulted in Rachel's death. His blood boiled, he could taste acid on his tongue. "She's going to pay for this." he vowed.

Percy was suddenly in Nico's space, his eyes wild with concern. "She spoke with you? What happened? What did she want?"

Nico rolled his eyes and pushed him away. "She came to warn me. Apparently the woman that attacked Percy was Achlys and she's attempting to gain power to overthrow the gods. The only way for us to defeat her is for Rachel to completely cut her connection to the mortal world and Hades. If she doesn't have souls to feed on, she won't be strong enough to fight off the strongest demigods alive."

Jason felt sick to his stomach. "Well, what can we do now? Rachel…" he trailed off and looked at the carpet below. He couldn't bring himself to repeat it out loud. He looked at Nico helplessly, but the son of Hades was avoiding his eye. After intently staring at Jason since his arrival, it struck him as odd that the younger demigod suddenly wanted nothing to do with him. He tried to catch Percy's eyes, but the son of Poseidon was suddenly on his feet.

The other teen looked as if he was being burned alive. His eyes were unfocused and wide with horror. The color had bled from his skin almost instantly and his hands were trembling. He was scared shitless as he looked at Nico. "A-Achlys?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapter and late update, but I needed this to be perfect. Fair warning, the next chapter is extremely angsty and contains spoilers for House of Hades, so if you have not read it yet I suggest you do. There are also possible triggers so please be mindful of your emotional limits. Enjoy! <strong>


	11. Misery

_**Annabeth**_

_It was pride that changed angels into devils_. Annabeth drew her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. _Pride is taking less than you need._ She rested her chin on top of her knees. _Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. _She closed her eyes to fight the sting of tears. _A man's pride can be his downfall. _She released a shaky breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

She really should have known better. The children of Athena were brilliant strategists and could improvise with finesse rivaled only by the children of Ares. They excelled in the academic world and could master almost any subject presented to them. But like all demigods they had a fatal flaw. She'd always known that her pride would be her downfall, but she couldn't have predicted the damage it would have on everyone else. She'd never fathomed that her arrogance would get her friends hurt.

A twig snapped and Annabeth peeked at Piper with wary eyes. She sat across from her, frowning at her in concern. Years ago Annabeth would never have willingly spent any time with a child of Aphrodite. They were pompous airheads that couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag with instructions, but Piper was different. She didn't use her beauty as a weapon and genuinely tried to be friends with anyone. She more than proved herself in the war against Gaea and Annabeth would be lying if she said that Piper hadn't been a comfort in the aftermath. She and Hazel had become her closest friends, and while great, it only made _this _all the more terrifying.

"Annabeth, that wasn't your fault. You can't seriously think that can you?" Piper whispered. She sounded so sweet and sincere that for a moment Annabeth almost believed it. Almost. Piper was her best friend and confidant, but she didn't know everything. She wouldn't understand that Annabeth was no longer in control of herself. She was a puppet, a weapon that couldn't fight back.

"It was my fault. The thing that attacked Percy came in through me. It used me as a way in." Annabeth looked away from her then, the crushing weight settling on her shoulders.

The first time had been the worst. _Annabeth waded into the pool until the water was half way up her calves. It felt cool and refreshing against her skin. Minnows and other small marine life brushed against her feet. A crisp summer wind ruffled the trees and played with her hair. It felt nice. It felt different. She closed her eyes and stepped deeper into the water until it was up to her waist. She took a deep, calming breath and slowly began to clear her mind of everything. No more Percy, no more Gaea, no more prophecies. Relax. _

_She repeated the mantra over and over as she stepped further into the water. It took every ounce of self control and concentration not to panic when it closed over her head. The water had never scared her before; she'd always felt safe and secure whenever she stepped into its depths. After a minute, Annabeth slowly opened her eyes. Sun rays filtered in through the water, causing it to glitter subtly. Fish swam around her lazily, but apart from that there wasn't anything particularly interesting. _Good, _she thought. _

_She started small languid breaststrokes, not really intent on swimming, just moving to move. Her muscles groaned in protest, but she ignored it. The twinges of pain reminded her that she was alive. The sting of the water on her healing wounds reminded her that she was a survivor. Her burning lungs reminded her that every breath she took was a gift. It wasn't masochistic; it was just the way things were. _

_She allowed herself to pop up for a quick breath before ducking back down again. She couldn't help but think of Percy while in his natural element. She reluctantly remembered the feel of his strong arms wrapped around her middle, the feel of his warm lips against hers, the weightless feeling in her heart when they cuddled. In the past thinking of those things served to make her smile like an idiotic school girl, but now it only brought crushing depression. The Percy she had come to care for dearly was not the same anymore. Things had changed after the war, they both knew it whether they accepted it or not. _

_Annabeth had seen Percy do things inside Tartarus that scared her more than she was willing to admit, but it was her own thoughts that frightened her the most. She'd felt the bloodlust and satisfaction with every monster she struck down. She was proud of her skills, but her mind was always calculating how she could improve her technique and make the kill all the more efficient. Sometimes she felt a twisted smile curl on her lips when they whimpered and begged. Most terrifying of all was during the final battle. She'd watched, just as everyone else had, as Nico DiAngelo fell at the hands of Polybotes. Unlike everyone else, however, she did not feel panic at the sight of his blood or even anger. For a brief moment she felt undiluted delight at the sight of him dying, at Percy's rage. She wanted Percy to feel the pain of losing someone he loved, and she knew that Nico was the one that would hurt him the most. _

_She gasped and found herself scrambling for the surface. Head broke through the water and she half ran half swam for the shore. She could feel tears cascading down her cheeks and her breaths felt like knives being plunged into her chest. It didn't matter how much time had passed since then; she could never forgive herself for such an evil thought. She was not the same girl anymore, Tartarus had changed her. _

_Annabeth curled into the fetal position and let the sobs wrack her body. _You're so pathetic Annabeth Chase, _her inner voice sneered. _You enjoyed watching him suffer because you were jealous. _It was true. A blind man could see that the connection between Nico and Percy was stronger than Annabeth had originally thought, and she was petty enough to admit jealousy. _You're weak. You can't even admit that if the opportunity arose to eliminate him you wouldn't take it. Pathetic. _She felt the misery flush over her in waves and suddenly everything went black. _

_The darkness was deeper than anything she'd ever imagined before. Time and spaced ceased to have meaning and she found her mind scattering. Her body was unraveling, her cells dancing further and further apart. She felt an icy stab of fear plunge into her, but even that was short lived. _What is happening to me? _She scrambled for something, anything tangible, but there was nothing. She was slowly descending into chaos. Chaos….she was literally sinking in Chaos. She opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. Annabeth closed her eyes in defeat. She watched her life literally pass in front of her eyes and prayed for death to take her swiftly. It was over, this was her fate. _

"_**Reach out to me. Reach, dear child and I will not drop you." **__whispered a soft, rattling voice. Annabeth blindly reached out against her better judgment, because anything would be better than this. Oh how wrong she was. Her hand grasped tightly onto a bony hand and agony ripped through her body. Every imaginable pain tore her from the inside out. She felt screams tearing at her throat, clawing at her, desperate to escape, but it did not belong to her. Everything she felt was foreign, but potent. Rationally she knew that by letting go she could escape this, but she couldn't find the strength to let go. __**"You're mine now daughter of Athena. I will make great use of you." **_

A warm hand touched her shoulder and Annabeth was wrenched from the confines of her mind. Piper was right in front of her now, her eyes wide with worry. She could feel the girl trembling, but she had a determined set to her jaw. "Annabeth I'm going to help you. We need to talk to Chiron immediately."

She jolted back as if Piper had struck her across the face. "I can't go to him. Piper I-I've done terrible things and-"

"You didn't do anything! Something is controlling you and that's not your fault. We need help to stop this thing so it can't get to you again." Piper gripped her elbow and hauled Annabeth to her feet.

The daughter of Athena snatched away from her and backed away. "It goes much deeper than that Piper, so much deeper."

Piper swallowed and took a step towards her. "Then tell me how far down the rabbit hole we're going. I'll follow right behind you."

Annabeth turned from her then. "I can't." Her voice broke, but no tears came out. Piper couldn't know the even darker truth about what was happening to her. She wouldn't understand that Annabeth spent the majority of her days trying not to succumb to the overwhelming sea of anguish trapped within her. She wouldn't understand the voices of the damned that howled for forgiveness, release from their human prison. She wouldn't understand that Annabeth herself was ceasing to exist among the battered souls. She had been a fool to simply think that Achlys would let her go after that first time. She'd become an even greater fool when she thought she could resist her. That was before Allison.

Memories of the girl's life slammed into her so hard she stumbled backward. She felt Piper catch her and shout at her in concern, but she was already too far gone. She blinked, but she was no longer standing in the clearing with Piper.

_The house stood at the very end of the block. The paint was chipped and the little of it that was left was covered in black ink from graffiti. The lawn was more than unkempt. The grass was at least waist high; old car and toy parts littered the ground; and trash and beer bottles sat on the porch amongst rotted newspapers and magazines. The chain link fence around the house had gaping holes in some places, and was down altogether in others. _

_Annabeth found herself pushing past the gate as dread solidified in her stomach. It didn't take long for her to hear the voices. There was a gruff, furious one that easily overtook the meeker, panicked one. She wanted to turn and run away from the scene she'd witnessed too many times, but as always she was drawn to the horror inside. _

_She pushed open the door just as a glass shattered against the wall beside her head. It couldn't hurt her, but she still flinched and ducked her head. _Oh gods please don't make me watch them die again. _But just like every other time she stood rooted to the spot, unable to do anything to save the girl. Allison was cowering in a corner, her emerald green eyes wide with fright. Red tinged her dirty blonde hair and dark purple bruises spread along her pale neck and arm. Her father towered over her, his eyes glinting with rage and contempt. His beefy hands were curled into tight fists at his side as he sneered down at her. _

"_How dare you speak to me that way?! I am your father and you __**will**__ respect me." he growled. He advanced on the young girl who scurried away as best as she could in the cluttered living room. His sneer widened as he stalked behind her. "I gave you and your mother __**everything**__ but it was never enough for her. That stupid whore left me and now you're trying to do the same? I __**won't **__allow it." _

_He kicked out with his boot. Allison cried out and grabbed at her stomach, collapsing on the ground. She curled in on herself and gasped for breath. "I-I'm not leaving I promise!" _

_His eyes darkened and he flipped her over onto her back, forcing her to look up at him. the monster glared down at its defenseless prey and that only enraged him more. "Don't lie to me. Don't you dare fucking lie to me." He reached down and grabbed her by her collar and dragged her to her feet. Allison whimpered, her frightened eyes darting around for something, anything to help her. Of course there was nothing. She cringed away, the smell of alcohol strong on his breath. _

"_I-I promise daddy, I won't leave you. I won't I promise." A tear rolled down her cheek and she couldn't help the tremors that ran through her body. "I'll do anything to prove it. Please daddy let me prove it to you."_

_The man considered her with cruel, calculating eyes before dropping her and turning away. Annabeth wanted to run to Allison's side and force her to flee, force her to get out of that house, but there was nothing she could do. Allison had already died. This was just the last memory she had, the last thing she took to Hell with her. _Please Allison, please be strong enough to fight back. _She knew her plea would go unanswered, just as it always did. _

_Her father returned and handed her a tiny silver pistol. She gripped it with trembling fingers, turning it over and over in her hands. She finally looked up at him. "W-what is this?"_

_He crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at her with black eyes, eyes of a demon. "Prove to me that you will do __**anything **__to stay. Take care of the both of them." _

_Allison recoiled as if slapped. The color had drained from her face. "D-daddy no! I can't do this!" _

_This time did slap her. Her head rebounded off the wooden floor and she shrieked in pain. He pressed his shoe over her throat, putting just enough pressure to cause her face to turn blue. Her blunt nails clawed vainly at his ankles and the floor. He didn't seem to care. "Do it or this will be the __**last**__ breath you ever take in this house." _

_Annabeth closed her eyes and tried to ignore the squeaked "okay" followed by the sound of someone stumbling up the stairs. An eerie silence settled over the house, enough so that for a moment every individual heartbeat could be heard. And then, like cannon fire, a gunshot rang through the house. Annabeth didn't even have time to cry out as another soon followed. She choked on her sobs and followed the horrible monster that had caused all of this. _

_The rest of the house was in shambles, but not this room. The walls were painted a dazzling pearl white and decorated with scribbled drawings and finger paintings. There were two bookshelves lined with children books and movies on each side of a window overlooking the street below. Adjacent to the bookcase on the right was a bed neatly made and covered in pink, frilly things and stuffed animals. Adjacent to the bookcase on the left was a slightly smaller bed with forest green covers and miniature dinosaurs scattered on top. Toys littered the floor, but it was not messy. It was a child's room, as evident from the barely touched afternoon snacks lying on the play table. It was the room of two innocent children._

_Bile rose in Annabeth's throat, but she could not tear her eyes away from the gruesome scene. It wouldn't do her any good anyway. She would never be able to forget the arches and splatter of crimson on the white walls or the darker pools on the wooden floor. She would never be able to forget the sight of two small bodies slumped over their play table, their eyes closed but identical gaping holes in their heads. She would never be able to forget Allison's deranged guilt laden eyes as she fired once at her father's chest and then took her own life. She would never forget. _

Annabeth clung to Piper and buried her head in the crook of her neck. Her knees were wobbling and she couldn't seem to find the strength to stand on her own anymore. Piper held her easily. She petted her hair gently, her warm breath fanning over her skin. Annabeth could feel her heart pounding frantically and yet she was trying to calm Annabeth down. She didn't deserve this, any of this.

She sniffled and reluctantly pulled away. "Piper I- I have to get out of camp. I need to get away from here." She clenched her fists determinedly. _I may not be able to make up for what I've done, but I won't let Achlys get another one of my friends. _"It's the only way I can keep you safe."

Piper shook her head. "Annabeth I'm not letting you go. We're your friends; we can help you."

Annabeth shook her head. "The only way to stop this is to destroy the goddess controlling me. I know exactly where the boys went. I know they're going after her. She knows it too. I'm afraid that if I stay she'll force me to hurt one of you as a distraction." _Or to add your soul to her collection. _

Piper seemed ready to force her to stay, but Annabeth knew that there was little time left to argue. "I'm sorry Piper." She struck faster than the daughter of Aphrodite thought possible, hitting her square in her chest. Piper dropped to the ground as the air knocked out of her. Acting quickly, Annabeth grabbed her wrists tightly and bound them together behind a small tree. Piper struggled against her bindings, her eyes holding Annabeth's gaze.

"Annabeth please don't do this. We can help you. It's okay to depend on your friends. That's what we're here for."

And although her words were true, Annabeth could only shake her head. She turned and fled into the trees. She heard Piper calling out to her, but she couldn't turn back. She'd been a fool in the past, but not anymore. This was her one chance to make things right. She just had to get to Tartarus before Percy.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Piper<strong>_

"Annabeth come back!" she hollered, although by that time the girl was obviously gone. She struggled against her bindings, her eyes burning with tears. The terror inside of Annabeth's eyes was enough for Piper to believe in such a thing as a devil or demons. She'd never seen the girl so broken and vulnerable, so in need of help. _I shouldn't have let her go. _The ropes were digging into her wrists, the knot too tight for her to wriggle out of. Her Katoptris was tucked into her belt loop, completely out of reach. She wasn't going anywhere.

She grunted in frustration and kicked at the ground angrily. There was absolutely nothing she could but wait until someone happened by to untie her, to _rescue her. _The word left a sour taste in her mouth. _How many more times is someone supposed to come and save me? Why am I always the one needing saving? Why can't I be the hero for once?_

She pulled at her bindings half heartedly before leaning back against the tree in defeat. Piper swallowed and leaned her head against the tree trunk. She couldn't help but think of her father, Tristan McLean. He always portrayed the suave, confident, strong, capable hero alongside some dumb bimbo with a pretty face. He had always been her hero, but had taught her independence. He'd kiss her bruises when she fell, but immediately after he'd press her to walk it off and move on. It wasn't harsh; it was necessary. He wanted a strong and capable daughter, one that could grow up to fight her own battles, not the girl sitting pathetically tied to tree.

Piper hung her head and closed her eyes. Her father would be so disappointed in her now. _I'm so tired of being useless. _Besides her charmspeak, there wasn't much she could do. Her sword fighting skills were laughable and mediocre. The best strategists were Annabeth and Jason. Leo could turn a scrap heap into a weapon of mass destruction in a matter of days. Hazel and Nico could manipulate the mist, raise and (to some degree) control the dead, shadow travel them across the world, kick ass when upset, and (apparently) communicate with one another telepathically. Frank could shift into any creature of his choosing and use their attributes. Percy was a natural born leader and wicked with Riptide or any blade in his hand. Compared to everyone else she was pathetic dead weight.

_But out of everyone, you're the one Annabeth came running to for strength and support, _her mind supplied helpfully. _She allowed herself to be vulnerable around you. She trusted you to be strong enough when she couldn't. _

"Yeah and _that_ helped things." she whispered bitterly. She didn't understand the point of her even being a freaking demigod if she could do nothing to save her friends. The children of Aphrodite were not meant to be fighters. Right now Annabeth was in desperate need of help and she was tied to a freaking tree. "I'm tired of being useless."

To her left a branch snapped and Piper's head snapped up. Her eyes scanned the trees around her for the source of the sound, but there was nothing. She'd heard rumors from the Hermes cabin that some low level monsters roamed the woods, but she'd never actually seen any. Not that it mattered if they were low level or not. An unarmed and defenseless demigod would be easy pickings for anything.

She tugged at the ropes again frantically when she heard footsteps getting closer. Whoever had taught the daughter of Athena to tie knots knew what they were doing. Piper winced when she felt something warm and sticky slide down her fingers. _She really didn't want me to follow her. She really thinks I'm in danger. _Gritting her teeth, Piper pulled harder. She bit back a pained scream as the rope dug deeper into her wrists. _I promised you I'd save you and that's what I intend to do. _

Suddenly Leo came crashing through the trees, his cheeks flushed and twigs sticking in his hair. He took a minute to collect his breath before rushing to Piper's side. He sawed at the roped until they fell away. Piper had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from gasping when the blood pulsed back into her hand. She rubbed at her wrists which were raw and bleeding slightly.

"Thanks Leo," she whispered quietly. "How did you find me out here? We aren't close to camp."

Leo blinked at her for a second and Piper took a step towards him. She noticed for the first time that he wasn't cracking any kind of smile or joke. His eyes were blackened with misery. "Leo what happened?"

He swallowed and ducked his head. His hands were trembling by his sides. "Jason and the others are in big trouble, more than we thought."

Piper crossed her arms over her chest, a chill racing up her spine. "What are you talking about?"

Leo met her eyes reluctantly. "Hecate was speaking with Chiron and Apollo at the Big House. Apparently the three of them are going into Tartarus to fight some ancient goddess, but there's a catch. Nico has to sacrifice himself in order for them to do it."

Piper nearly jumped out of her skin. "Are you serious? That witch can't possibly think that Percy or Jason would let Nico die does she?"

"That's not all. Rachel is just as big a part in this as everyone else. She has to attack from the _other side_, a place no mortal has ever gone."

"So what does that mean? What does she have to do?" Piper felt more confused by the minute. Why was Hecate even involved in any of this? She hated demigods according to Hazel.

"She has to find the person the goddess is controlling and essentially kill her." He ran a hand through his hair roughly. "Right now Rachel's in some kind of freaky Oracle coma, so she can't help them. If she can't wake up the guys are screwed."

Piper felt a freight train slam into her chests. Leo noticed and reached out to grab her wrists to steady her. "Pipes what's wrong?"

She tried to swallow, but her throat was too dry. _It goes deeper than that Piper, so much deeper. _She looked at Leo with wide eyes. "It's Annabeth. She has to kill Annabeth."

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><p><strong>Author's notes: Okay, so this chapter was harder for me to write than the others simply because of content matter, but I hope it was worth it. Leave comments and tell me what you think! Next chapter we finally get back to the action! <strong>


	12. Ambush

_**Percy**_

"_Percy, let me go," Annabeth croaked. "You can't pull me up." He gazed down at her, feeling something seize and tighten in his chest. This was so unlike her to give up on anything; she was too stubborn for that. There was always a fire burning in her storm gray eyes that gave him hope to keep fighting, but it wasn't there now. Annabeth was staring up at him with red, glistening eyes set in a pale face. Undiluted terror was written in the planes of her face. He swallowed thickly and squeezed her hand tight in his. He couldn't let her go, not like this. _

"_Never," he said. He looked up at Nico, fifteen feet above. The son of Hades was desperately trying to find some way to reach them. "The other side, Nico! We'll see you there. Understand?"_

_Nico's eyes widened. For a split second Percy saw fear flicker across his face. "But—"_

"_Lead them there!" Percy shouted. It was selfish and he knew it, but only Nico could do this. He felt his fingers tremble and knew that any second they'd give out completely. "Promise me!"_

"_I—I will."_

Percy shook the memory from his head. He couldn't keep reliving those moments if he hoped to complete this quest. The demons of his past would only serve to hinder them in the long run. Yet even as he forced himself to focus he could already feel the aftershocks of the memory. His vision was tunneling and his ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton. His throat was dry and his hands had broken out into a cold sweat. Ice plunged into his veins and every step felt weighted with lead. It was like an old wound had been ripped open: the pain was very much potent.

He sighed heavily. After a few weeks he'd hoped the scars would fade and the nightmares would eventually go away, but that was not the case. Though the nightmares weren't as frequent as they had been, he still found himself waking up petrified and stuttering for breath. He still found himself looking over his shoulders for an enemy that wasn't real. He still found himself unable to look Annabeth in the face sometimes. The truth of the matter was that physical scars healed while the rest lingered behind. Even now as they approached the abyss Percy felt the familiar tug on his wounds and soul. The pit was hungry for him still and it was ready to swallow him whole.

Nico sidled up beside him and silently threaded their fingers together. His hand was small and warm compared to his own, but it fit perfectly. The warmth helped anchor him to the present. They couldn't afford for him to fall apart now; the stakes were too high. The three of them were entering a place where the gods could not help or venture to. They were literally on their own yet again. It was up to him and Nico to guide Jason through Tartarus, to Achlys. Thoughts of the wretched goddess only sent shivers up his spine.

The three silently made their way past the gates of Hades' palace, Jason bringing up the rear. Percy peeked over his shoulder at the son of Jupiter. He hadn't said much of anything since Nico told them what Hecate had done. Percy was still in shock about it. The gods had done horrible things to each other and mortals since time began, but this deliberate attack resulted in the death of an innocent bystander. He wasn't ken on trusting her, especially if she gave Nico explicit instructions on what to do and where to go. But Nico was extending the olive branch (something he rarely did) and Percy would rather face Tartarus alone than let him follow the goddess blindly.

They entered a small tunnel, the grass giving way to cold, black rock. The walls sloped upwards, glittering with gems and thin veins of gold. Their footsteps echoed as they descended deeper. The light grew dimmer the farther in they went, the air stiffer and chillier. Percy felt evil pressing in on him from all the sides; it took every ounce of courage in him not to turn around. He could practically taste blood, the rancid odor of death and decay growing stronger. _It's been years since I came here_, he thought. _I never imagined coming back; not ever. _

Nico stopped in his tracks and turned to Jason. "Don't stand too close to the edge alright? Tartarus is a living god and he's always looking to trap more people inside of him. He'll literally suck you in."

Percy felt bile rise in his throat at the mention of the ancient god. His knees wobbled dangerously underneath him, forcing him to lean against the wall. He'd faced giants, Kronos, Gaea, and countless monsters, but no one had frightened him nearly as much as Tartarus had. Percy was never one to accept death even when he was literally flying by the seat of his pants to survive, but that encounter had been different. He was sure he was going to die. "_Be honored, little demigods", he hissed. "Even the Olympians were never worthy of my personal attention. But you will be destroyed by Tartarus himself!"_

He willed away the mounting panic and swallowed the bile in his throat. _I can't lose my grip like this, not now. _Nico and Jason were standing a few feet away from him. They were just far enough away to let him breathe and calm down, but close enough for him to know he wasn't alone. The former's face was twisted in pain and regret, yet he was standing tall and unwavering. Percy felt a spike of jealousy and shame. Jealous because he couldn't seem to stay calm and collected, ashamed because he was becoming hysterical and they hadn't even entered Tartarus.

After a few tense minutes Percy stepped away from the wall. Nico eyed him warily for a moment before dropping his gaze. "I'm sorry for mentioning him. I forgot you actually faced him before." His voice sounded small, practically dripping with hurt. Percy opened his mouth to say something, but the boy turned and continued down the tunnel, his aviator jacket flapping behind him. He didn't look back to see if they were following him.

Jason stepped in front of him, worry etched into his frown. "Percy are you really okay? This…can't exactly be easy for you right now."

Percy met his anxious stare before dropping his gaze. That was the magic question wasn't it? Was he as stable as he need to be to do this? He didn't know. Tartarus had forced him to face his weaknesses head on, but it also showed him how ruthless he could be. He'd always questioned how others could abuse their power, had fought for the oppressed, but not that day. He couldn't forget what he'd done no matter how hard he tried. His demons would always follow close behind, whispering over his shoulder.

Jason squeezed his shoulder lightly. He released a slow breath. "I honestly can't tell you because I don't know. The last time I was there…I still don't know how I made it out alive. Annabeth was a part of it; I couldn't let her die down there…she deserves better. But she's not here now and-and I'm afraid."

Percy didn't know what he expected from Jason. He'd just confessed to an ex-Roman demigod that he, Percy Jackson-famed hero of the Battle of Manhattan, was scared. He wasn't sure if he expected the boy to laugh or mock him. He wasn't sure if he expected (or even wanted) pity. What he didn't expect was the dramatic eye roll and exasperated groan.

The blonde shook his head at him incredulously. "Well I wouldn't expect you to be all gung ho about this; you _literally_ walked through Hell Percy. I don't know a demigod alive that'd survive once and willingly go back. I can't say I get it, because Zeus knows I don't, but Nico does. He went there too remember? Maybe Annabeth isn't here for you to protect or give you that drive, but he is. He's dealing with the same things you are and he's going to need you down there. You're going to need him too." He dropped his hand and stepped away. "Come on, we can't waste anymore time."

They hastened to catch up to Nico. He stood at the end of the tunnel, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He sighed when they came into view and pushed off the wall sharply, nodding slightly to the cavern beside him. "The entrance is right through here."

Of course Percy had been there before. It felt like eons ago that he and Annabeth had saved Grover from being dragged into the abyss. The cavern was as vast as he remembered with a soaring ceiling and smooth stone. It was dimly lit with black fire that sent creepy shadows dancing across the walls. The chasm was staring at them like a gaping mouth (that wasn't a far off description when thinking about it), at least the length of a city block.

What struck him as new and eerie was the thick cloud of smoke leaking from the mouth of the pit. It appeared to slither and crawl along the ground, long tendrils reaching up as if to grab them. Something about it unnerved him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up on end, his hands began to shake. His stomach twisted and tumbled and every fiber of his being screamed at him to get the Hell out of there. This wasn't normal, even he could tell that much. Nico didn't seem to like it either.

"This wasn't like this a few weeks ago." He shook his head and stepped back shakily. "This is how Achlys has been able to get in and out without being spotted. This is her Death Mist, only it's more concentrated."

Percy quickly pulled the smaller teen until his back was plastered against his front. It was no wonder why he was put off by the noxious cloud. _I guess the body never forgets being touched by something like that. _Achlys had tried to kill him and Annabeth after encasing them in the stupid mist, and although the betrayal was expected he was still upset. That little incident had made him do things he wasn't proud of. He shivered, remembering Annabeth's corpselike appearance. He wasn't keen on seeing Nico the same way.

"There has to be another way in. We can't step into that; it'll weaken us." Percy whispered. He wasn't entirely sure why he was, but he felt like they were being watched.

Nico shook his head sadly. "The only other ways I know of are Arachne's lair and the House of Hades. The latter is destroyed and I don't think we have time to get to Rome."

Percy pulled him tighter against him for fear the boy would disappear. "This stuff is dangerous. It's like the breath of Chaos; it drains you of life. We can't go through this."

"I don't see any other choice Percy." Nico snapped. His fingers closed around the crystal hanging from his neck. "I don't like this anymore than you do, but we're running on borrowed time and-"

"_And that time is up little Ghost King!" _someone hissed behind them. Percy wheeled around and drew Riptide. Beside him he heard rather than saw Nico and Jason draw their blades as well. _"Oh how cute." _the voice cooed. The figure materialized out of thin air about ten meters from them.

Percy cursed sharply and stepped slightly in front of Nico, glaring daggers at the goddess across from him. She was easily taller than both him and Nico, but a few inches shorter than Jason. Voluminous jet black hair hung to her waist in a neat braid. Her alabaster skin sparkled with black and gold dust, the exact shade of her golden eyes and black lips. Her midnight black wings folded around her snugly, the very tips just sweeping the ground. She wore a simple black dress that brushed her knees, sandals, and what looked like a whip strapped to her waist.

The goddess' lip curled when they landed on him. "_Hello again Mr. Jackson. It is a pleasure to see you again." _Her voice made his lungs freeze and Percy bit back the urge to choke.

"Eris." He snarled. The last time he'd seen her she'd been flitting around with the other Keres around the battle field tricking the demigods into turning on each other. They'd all gotten away weak but more or less unscathed, leaving the rest of Gaea's army to fend for themselves.

Her grin widened. _"Now now, let us behave ourselves little demigod. Can we not discuss matters like old friends?" _she asked, batting her ridiculously long eyelashes at him. Once again her voice had him desperate for air. He felt like a small child under her gaze, like the frightened little boy he'd been when his mother had dated Smelly Gabe. It reminded him of every sleep deprived night where he heard his mother crying and his yelling. It reminded him of the bruises they both sported when Gabe got a little too rough. Everything that had ever caused him pain or hurt came wailing on him remorselessly. And he couldn't swing back.

Nico's hand closed over his wrist tightly. "I'm betting you're here to capture us. You're going to give us the cliché villain monologue about how resistance is futile and come quietly, right? You're going to insist that you don't want to hurt us when we all know that major bull."

Eris cocked her head to the side, studying Nico for a moment before chuckling. _"You are intelligent little Ghost King, but arrogant. You see, I was sent here to retrieve __**you**__, not Mr. Jackson or Golden Boy over there." _She cut her eyes to Jason who bristled at her nickname. _"Although I do like this one. I am sure my mother will allow me this trophy for bringing you safely to my sister." _

Percy lifted Riptide and pointed it at her throat. He felt raw, unadulterated anger swelling inside his chest. "You won't touch him." His voice echoed through the cavern and tunnel, the challenge and threat bouncing off the walls. He gripped the hilt of his sword so tightly his knuckles were whiter than bone. "I won't let you have him." he vowed darkly. He had little doubt in his mind that the "sister" Eris referred to was in fact Achlys, but he'd kill the goddess before he allowed her to touch Nico.

At his threat Eris chortled so loud the tunnel rumbled. She wiped an invisible tear from her eye, her teeth gleaming in the darkness. _"Oh how I would enjoy killing you Mr. Jackson, but alas my mother wishes to see to you personally. The death she has planned for you is cruel even by her standards, but then again I simply love to hear screams of despair." _As she spoke she took a step forward, her clawed hand on her whip. _"The strife of others soothes me. It is the sweetest delicacy. And yours? That will be the sweetest." _

Percy resisted the urge to strike out at her. _That's what she wants you to do. If you're not careful she'll make you do something you regret. _"I have no plans of visiting Nyx. I'm more of a morning person."

Eris stopped, her eyes were dancing. _"Oh you will, especially if it saves him." _Her fingers closed around the whip and she raised it above her head. Percy's jaw dropped and he panicked, realizing too late why he remembered it so clearly. It belonged to Nyx, the goddess of Night, and a simple snap of it could plunge them into blackness. She cracked it and Percy couldn't see.

He reacted instinctively and reached to pull Nico to his side as a heavy weight slammed into him. He flew into the tunnel wall, Riptide slipping from his fingers when his head crashed into the stone. Percy blinked and tried to let his eyes adjust to the darkness, but it was impossible. He could hear Nico and Eris fighting somewhere to his left and Jason stumbling about. He had to find a way to light the tunnel again if they were to have a fighting chance. He needed to somehow get the whip.

"_Come now little Ghost King, you're wasting your strength. I am immortal, more powerful than your pathetic Olympians. Do not force me to hurt you." _Eris hissed.

"Yeah, because what Achlys has planned for me is going to be _so _comfortable right? I'm just going to _love _it." Nico retorted hotly, followed by a grunt of pain. "If she wants me so bad she can come get me herself."

Percy choked back a laugh. Only Nico could be a complete smart ass at a time like this. At least he was able to fight back unlike Percy and Jason, both of whom were groping blindly in the dark. At camp Chiron had insisted that the demigods learn to utilize all of their senses to their fullest capability. Thinking about now made Percy wish he'd actually tried to hone his other skills. He had 20/20 vision, but it was useless like this.

A hand closed tightly around his forearm and jerked him backwards. His back collided with the stone wall knocking the breath out of him. He barely had time to register the sharp stab of pain to his spine before a rough and irritated voice whispered in his ear. "Watch yourself Jackson. Are you trying to get yourself killed? Eris almost clawed your had off."

Percy blanched. "Jason?" How was he able to see in the dark? "Jason how can you see?"

The teen scoffed somewhere to his left. "I was raised by Lupa remember? Wolves hunt at night." Jason sounded different then, more animalistic than human. It made Percy uneasy to stand next to the demigod. He felt weaker in comparison, like prey. The son of Jupiter was powerful in his own right. He had elite training from a camp that thrived on the ideals on the Roman Empire, arguably histories strongest civilization. He was a natural leader that could read Greek and Latin, and knew his way around a sword. But he hadn't always been at camp. His years at the Wolf House were a mystery to everyone, and the aura of mysticism was unnerving. Not that it didn't give Percy an idea.

"Jason do you think you can get that whip from her? We need to even the odds a bit." He tried to keep his voice low and steady, but it was difficult. Nico was holding his own, but Percy knew he was tiring. He could hear Eris' grunts of exertion and irritation. If they didn't hurry she'd use her full power on him.

The son of Jupiter was silent for only a moment before squeezing his forearm. "Stay here. Don't move." he ordered sharply before releasing Percy all together. He bristled at the command but held his tongue. He felt blindly for the wall and leaned against it heavily. Jason's light footsteps echoed lightly in the cavern, but they were easily drowned out by the raging duel just feet away. All he had to do was just get close enough to grab the whip and then maybe, just maybe, they could level the playing field.

"Jason watch it!" Nico yelled. The sound was followed by a furious snarl, a pained yelp, and the sound of flesh slamming into rock. Percy instinctively reached into his pocket for Riptide although it occurred to him that even armed there wasn't much he could do. Still, he couldn't risk one of them getting killed and do nothing. He gripped the hilt tightly in his hands and charged towards the sounds of the scuffle.

"Percy what are you-"

"Swing right!" Nico shouted, cutting Jason off. Percy reacted instantly, slicing Riptide through the air as Nico instructed. The blade collided with something hard like marble and there was a pained/enraged howl.

"_Damn you! I shall have your head!" _Eris' voice had taken on a darker edge, the hissing turning into a deep, chilling rattle.

Percy danced out of the way of what he assumed was Eris' claws as the goddess lunged at him. He raised his sword and swung it blindly in a wide arch, all the while trying to maintain his balance. He stumbled but managed to catch himself as she dove at him again. He wasn't so lucky dodging that time. He felt her claws dig into his shoulder and rip through his flesh as easy as butter. It was harder to fight an enemy you couldn't see. He saw a flash of white and rolled to the left just as the air exploded where his head had been. The brief burst of light allowed him to see the goddess stalking towards him, her lips moving but no sound coming out.

There was an unsettling silence in which Percy became acutely aware of another presence. The hairs on his arms and back of his neck stood on end and the breath froze in his lungs. His mind slowed down substantially and his ears suddenly felt stuffed with cotton. A cold, undiluted terror settled over him, pooling and knotting in his gut. He felt hands ghosting over him, fingers closing around his neck and squeezing lightly before releasing. A heavy weight pressed against him and he found himself staring at the cold ground gasping for breath. And then the floor fell from under him.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Nico<strong>_

Nico gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, the Stygian iron glinting menacingly in his white knuckles. He could feel his knees shaking from exhaustion, cold sweat rolling down his back and forehead. His ribs ached where his heart thumped against them and his lungs were painfully sucking in air. His nerves were on end, his instincts everywhere at once. He could feel his dark power rearing its head and clawing at the cage he'd stored them in, his control gradually slipping. He was treading a very fine line; he wasn't sure how much more he could take before he lost it completely. His resolve almost cracked when Eris had Percy at her mercy. He'd seen red in that moment, but the last ounce of rationale he had went into shrouding the boy in thick shadows. It wouldn't conceal him for long, but it'd protect him from her deadly magic.

Eris cocked her head at him, her fiery eyes narrowed suspiciously. He met her stare levelly and roughly tore his sword from the ground. The jagged fissure snapped closed, only a faint scar staining the Earth. Jason stepped up beside him with his sword raised at the dark goddess challengingly. Her black irises swiveled between the two of them and she snarled viciously. Her perfect teeth sharpened and lengthened into pearly fangs; her gnarled claws dripped with what Nico assumed was some kind of poison; the shimmering dust peeled away from her body and hardened into a spear. She raised the weapon, baring her teeth. That was all the permission Nico needed.

He ran towards her and swung his sword in a wide arch. The tip of his blade barely scraped across her skin which, he noticed with a grimace, was as hard as marble now. Eris hissed and grabbed for him. He nimbly danced out of the way when Jason surged forward and sent a bolt of lightning directly at the goddess' heart. She easily deflected the attack and sent a curse of her own at the son of Jupiter. Jason dropped to the ground, rolling out of the way as she raised her spear to strike. Nico lunged at her again and slammed the flat side of his sword into her weapon, a move he immediately regretted.

The minute the Stygian iron touched the spear Nico was thrown back against the cave wall. He distantly heard a sickening crunch just before blinding pain exploded from his shoulder. He crumbled to the floor in a heap of sore muscles and a few broken bones. But that was just the beginning. The pain started as a dull pang in his sword arm, like hundreds of needles being shoved into his skin. It was uncomfortable to breathe and his vision was graying at the edges. He could only hear a high pitched ringing in his head, one that drowned out any thoughts of self preservation. He tried to climb to his feet only to collapse gasping in agony. A fire had erupted within him, incinerating his bones and greedily sucking away the little oxygen he had. He couldn't feel his arm anymore, a thought that frightened him, and he felt himself slowly sinking into an abyss of unbelievable anguish.

Cold hands gripped his chin roughly and jerked his face up. He blinked, at first unable to recognize the gnarled and ferocious face of Eris, but there was no mistaking those evil eyes. Her lips were twisted up in a cruel smile. _"Look at me little Ghost King." _she ordered in a silky smooth voice. _"I want to see the pain in your eyes as I kill you." _Her claws dug into his cheeks, drawing thin trickles of blood. He bit his lip to keep from gasping out in pain, but the deeper they dug in the harder it became to hold back.

The witch's lips curled in a sneer that quickly morphed into a small scream of pain. She snatched her claws from his face and twisted around snarling at Jason. The golden haired teen danced out of the way of her spear and thrust with his sword, catching her just beneath the ribcage. She howled and clutched at the wound. Golden ichor flowed from between her fingers and dripped on the floor. _"Damn you. You will regret that son of Jupiter."_

"You sure about that?" Nico quipped before plunging his blade deep into her back between her shoulder blades. Her back arched, an inhuman wail tearing out of her throat. He jerked his sword out of the goddess' body and watched impassively as she fell to the ground writhing and cursing. His knees wobbled dangerously and his head swam. He distantly heard himself whimper and in the next second his body was sagging against Jason's muscular body. The teen wrapped an arm around his waist and gently sat him against the cave wall.

Nico swallowed and forced himself to watch Eris' body twitch and convulse. Golden ichor pooled beneath her body, the gold and black dust dotting the precious life flow. Her eyes flickered between steel black and burning gold as she gazed at him. She bared her teeth weakly at him before devolving into a coughing fit. Midnight black flowers bloomed around her, their stems curling around her body as it began to dissolve. _"I await you in my sister's realm little Ghost King. For eternity…I shall have my revenge…" _

The last of the dark goddess disappeared and Nico felt the tension drain out of him completely. He looked up at Jason through lidded eyes, a delirious and triumphant smile breaking over his face. "Well that was exciting. We haven't even gotten to the fun part yet."

Jason frowned and gripped his shoulder. "Are you alright? That was a nasty hit you took." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small drawstring pouch. He shoved a small square of ambrosia into Nico's hand and tucked it away again. "We need to find Percy and get out of here before we're ambushed again." he said seriously. He glanced at the spot Eris had been just moments before. "She was waiting for us. Chances are there's something worse down there." He gestured towards Tartarus before standing to his feet.

Nico leaned his head back against the wall and squeezed his eyes shut to ward off the nausea in his stomach. His head was pounding and his limbs felt unusually heavy. _I guess I overdid it. _He opened his eyes and numbly tugged at the shadows surrounding Percy. At first they held fast, encasing the son of Poseidon and then they sluggishly pulled away from him. Jason's jaw dropped when Percy materialized before them completely unscathed and slightly pissed off.

"What the Hell Nico? Why in the name of Zeus would you trap me like that?" He stomped over to the son of Hades and crouched in front of him. Nico tried and failed to keep the grin off his face. Percy looked absolutely adorable with his brows furrowed, lips pursed, and eyes shifting between emotions faster than Nico could read. He brought his hand up and cupped his cheek, his thumb running over the bruise forming there. "How can I protect you if you don't let me?" he whispered, dropping his gaze.

Nico reached up and gripped his hand, holding it there. "She was cursing you. I couldn't understand the language, but it was going to be bad. I would do it again." He chanced a glance at Jason who was looking away pointedly, but the tips of his ears burned red. "You may not like it, but I'm not going to let you protect me all the time. I can handle myself. Trust me." His chest seized at the half lie. Percy didn't know that Nico would surrender himself once the time was right. He didn't know that there was a strong chance Nico wouldn't survive.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes<strong>

**Super sorry about the delay, but college life is new and exciting as I'm sure many of you know. I hope this next block of chapters is worth it though. **


	13. Reawakened

_**Annabeth**_

Her feet pounded against the cold ground, her arms pumping furiously at her sides. Her lungs burned with each inhale and her eyes stung with unshed tears. Her arms and legs were littered with scratches and bruises from the trees and bushes, but she ignored it. It didn't matter how much it hurt; she had to get away. She didn't have the slightest clue how far she'd have to run, but the farther away she was from Camp Half-blood the better. She couldn't hurt her friends anymore than she already had.

Piper's stricken face swam before her eyes and she stumbled. She hadn't meant to hurt her, but she couldn't risk the girl getting dragged into this anymore than she already was. Piper was too sweet, too trusting, too innocent. She was Annabeth's best friend and she would be damned if she got killed because Annabeth had been too weak to protect her. She was going to set things right. She was going to protect everyone if it killed her.

She stopped moving and leaned against a tree, sucking in gulps of air. The tears pricking at the corner of her eyes threatened to break free and she wiped impatiently at her eyes. There wasn't much time for that. If she survived this she'd cry her eyes out day and night, but for now she had to be a warrior. Warriors didn't shed tears. She was on her own; no one could help her if she broke down.

"_**How foolish of you, daughter of Athena." **_

Annabeth reeled back as if slapped. She looked around wildly even though she already knew there was no one there. It was all inside her head. Still, she instinctively pulled her small knife from the waistband of her jeans and pressed her back firmly against the trunk, prepared to ward off an attack that wouldn't come.

The sky overhead darkened, shadows twisting and reaching for her. A shiver raced up Annabeth's spine and she pressed closer to the tree. "You can't have me," she whispered defiantly to the empty trees around her. The wind whipped at her then, its icy chill biting into her skin. Her head began to pound considerably, but she swallowed down the nausea rolling through her stomach. "I'm through being your puppet."

A voice hissed in her ear, causing her to shriek and spin around in alarm. There was nothing there but shadow as black as the night. Annabeth shuddered and swallowed thickly. _**"Do not worry my little pawn; your role is almost complete. The son of Hades will soon be within my grasp." **_

Annabeth took a step back, her hands shaking. "You'll never get your hands on Nico; Percy won't let you have him. He'll destroy you."

The trees echoed with a low, menacing laugh. _**"He can only save one, my little pawn. The Ghost King will be mine." **_

Before Annabeth could open her mouth to respond a sharp pain stabbed through her chest and her knees buckled. She retched onto the ground, clutching at her abdomen. Her body was on fire; her blood was boiling. Her vision was blurring and her ears were ringing. She tried to crawl away, but her limbs refused to cooperate. She could feel the last of her strength zapping away completely as she lay there in the dirt.

The air before her wavered and a figure appeared before her, their image flickering. They wore a simple white dress tied at the waist with a golden chord that brushed their knees, plain sandals, and a golden wreath. The girl's green eyes were wide with worry as they landed on her. She started running towards Annabeth, her red hair whipping out behind her.

Annabeth reached out weakly for her as the darkness successfully pulled her under, but not before she heard the girl call out, "I'm on my way Annabeth; just hold on for me."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Nico<strong>_

_Something is seriously wrong here, _Nico thought, his hands tightening on his sword. Contrary to popular belief, the dead were seldom silent. Many believed that once one died, they ceased to exist, but Nico knew otherwise. While ones' body could wither or decay, the soul and consciousness lives on in the afterlife. Ghosts still had the ability to love, hate, and fear just as much as any living person. He'd spent countless days surrounded by restless souls that craved mortal company and affection, and as the son of Hades he could fulfill that role. In other words, complete silence, even in Tartarus, was unheard of. That was the first red flag.

The second was the overall presence itself. The last time Nico has set foot in Tartarus, he'd felt chilled to his bone marrow, the air had been sucked out of his lungs, and his control of the shadows weakened considerably. He'd felt the presence of unprecedented evil hovering, could smell as well as taste the death and decay the deeper he'd gone into the pit. It had changed since then. The air was insufferably hot, so much so that he felt slightly dizzy. Despite the heat, however, he had goose bumps and his hair was standing on end. He felt as if he were being watched, like Tartarus himself was standing over them. The stench of the rotting corpses of monsters and demons made his eyes stung.

To top it all off, his powers were fading quickly. He could hardly feel any shadows around them; they weren't yielding to him easily. It made him feel vulnerable, naked even, to not have at least that. He wasn't too proud to admit that he'd grown dependent on his abilities, that they'd become a security blanket for him of sorts. Without them, what was he? It was ironic that now, when he needed them most, they failed him. He could sense his father's presence growing fainter with every step he took. The gods did not dare venture into Tartarus; apparently only their stupid children did so.

The crystal around his neck began to faintly glow, a warm heat pulsating through his chest. Nico reached up unconsciously and gripped it between his fingers. "We're getting close," he whispered, "be on your guard." He tightened his grip on his sword.

Percy, who'd been walking silently beside him for the most part, nudged him gently in his side. Nico raised a questioning eyebrow at him. He jerked his head behind them, barely whispering "Jason", before walking on ahead. Nico cast a glance back at Jason, worry evident on his face. He was the only one of the three that had never set place in the evil place before.

The boy's skin was unnaturally pale. His body trembled despite the sweat pooling on his brow. His eyes swiveled around them uncertainly, the fire that normally burned within them muted. It was unnerving to see the son of Jupiter in such a state, but it was to be expected. While Nico was having a hard time, he was better equipped to handle it because of his father. Jason on the other hand was definitely out of his element. His father was the king of the heavens, meaning places underground were not the safest place for him.

Nico paused and waited for him to catch up. He wasn't the best for comforting people, but his relationship with Jason was different. He was honestly the first male demigod that Nico trusted apart from Percy. The boy had stood by him and trusted him even when Nico had been more than hostile. For him, Nico would give it an honest shot.

"Jason, are you alright?"

Jason tried to offer a small, but it came out more like a grimace. "You and Jackson weren't kidding about this place. I feel like I just battled one hundred Porphyrions at once. And it smells like Death in here."

"He'd take great offense to that you know." Nico chuckled at Jason's unimpressed scowl. "I'm just saying. Thanatos is a good friend of mine, and I swear the guy smells like he never has to shower."

Jason rolled his eyes. "I don't know if I should be concerned or unsurprised that you're friends with the god of Death."

"Well, he is my father's most loyal servant. He treats me like his younger brother, including the teasing and hazing." He could barely contain his smirk as they tried to catch up to Percy.

Jason punched him lightly on the shoulder, pouting lightly. "And here I thought I was your honorary brother. The boyfriend role was already taken, sadly." He winked at Nico jokingly.

Nico felt heat rush to his cheeks. "Shut up Grace. Don't make me tell Percy you're trying to take advantage of me."

He snorted and rolled his eyes. "As if Jackson stood a chance. He couldn't beat me if I was blind, deaf, and dumb."

He opened his mouth to retort, but Percy suddenly appeared, his face ashen. Nico immediately went on the defensive, the light atmosphere around quickly dissipating. Jason went into combat mode just as quickly. His nervousness seemed to melt away, replaced by a calculating mask. He'd become a soldier right before Nico's eyes.

"What happened Percy? What did you see?" he asked sharply. He drew his weapon as well, but he seemed in no rush to go into battle. He was calm and focused, a trait he undoubtedly picked up from his time in the Roman camp.

"There's a group of monsters up ahead. From what I can tell, they have about ten _dracones, _Echidna herself, _empusa, _a hydra, our dear old friend the manticore, and a few more monsters I couldn't really make out." He grimaced and rubbed his shoulder, no doubt remembering when the creature had poisoned him years before.

Nico's frown deepened. Hecate hadn't warned him about this, even though they expected an ambush of some sort. But that wasn't what worried him. Looking at Percy, it was as the boy had seen his life flash before his eyes. He wasn't a fan of the manticore either, considering it'd been sent to kidnap him and his sister, but there was more. He looked at Percy and saw the raw desperation, hurt, uncertainty, and pain in his eyes. "Percy, what else is down there?"

The air deflated from him, and the boy looked on the verge of collapse. He took a shuddering breath and met Nico's eyes. "Annabeth."

Nico bowed his head. _It's time, _he thought grimly. He reached out and grabbed Percy's hand tightly. "Then there's something you need to know. Hecate has a plan."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Annabeth<strong>_

The first thing Annabeth registered as she came to was a sharp throbbing in her head. Her throat was dry and rough, her tongue thick in her mouth. Her limbs were heavy and numb; she could barely raise her head. Her skin felt cold as ice, yet she could feel sweat on her forehead. There was a weight on her chest pressing down harder with each breath she took.

Annabeth groaned and peeled her eye lids back. She winced, the dim light stinging her eyes. After a moment, she hesitantly opened them again to take in her surroundings. Although her vision was still fuzzy, she could somewhat make out what appeared to be a field just below her. The fluorescent reds, blues, and oranges stood out against the black surrounding it. There was a single path snaking its way through the center, small torches casting ghostly light across it. The path lead up to the small altar she was currently perched on.

_This isn't good, _Annabeth thought as she attempted to push herself to her feet. She leaned against a pillar, the world coming in and out of focus.

"So you are finally awake, daughter of Athena?" whispered a rough voice. Annabeth whipped around, a startled scream caught in her throat. Brown and blue eyes glinted hungrily as they zeroed in on her face. "Are you frightened child? Do you not remember me?"

She stumbled backwards, her eyes widening in fear. The oddly colored eyes followed her movements, malice glinting in the irises. In the dim light, Annabeth could just make out iron gray mane peppered with black, and razor like teeth. His scorpion tail whipped back and forth behind him lazily as he watched her edge away. He advanced leisurely, the light reflecting off of his black and gray fur. She would never forget the creature as long as she lived.

The manticore, aka Dr. Thorn, had kidnapped her years ago and turned her over to Luke Castellan. Not only that, but it had almost killed Percy, Grover, and Thalia when they'd come to rescue her. It had taken everything, including help from Mr. D, to finally bring him down. He was seriously a threat, and had no qualms about killing her, of that she was certain. But what was he _doing_ here?

Dr. Thorn grinned wickedly, as if reading her mind. "I am here for the same reason the others are, daughter of Athena: Vengeance. Today, the debt that is owed to me will be repaid."

"Others?" Annabeth murmured weakly. The manticore's sneer widened and he gestured with a paw down below them. She gulped and peered over the edge of the altar hesitantly. This time, she did scream, earning the attention of the monsters below. She gulped as they all glared at her, each face unforgettable for she knew most if not all of them.

Kelli's glare was perhaps the most venomous. Her flaming hair was burning brighter than the last time Annabeth had seen her, her eyes redder, and teeth sharper as well. Her sisters Tammi and Serephone stood at her side, their faces contorted in rage. A group of empousa standing just behind them licked their lips as they eyed her. Annabeth resisted the urge to cower under their gaze. She'd killed them before, and she was more than prepared to do so again, despite her weakened state.

Beside them stood a beautiful young woman, who at first glance appeared mortal. She was tall and slender, with silky black hair that fell to the middle of her back. Upon closer inspection, however, Annabeth noticed her red eyes, and gleaming fangs. The woman didn't have legs, instead her lower body was that of a serpents'. She hissed up at Annabeth, her forked tongue darting out to taste the air. The woman had to be the beast Echidna.

"_You!" _hissed an enraged voice. Moments later, a woman with scaly green skin slithered up beside Echidna, her fangs bared. Her hair, made of hundreds of snakes, coiled and hissed angrily. Her wings were tucked neatly around her monstrous frame, obscuring her scorpion tail. Her midsection bubbled furiously, the mutated heads of lions and bears occasionally popping out and snarling. The vipers that made up her legs writhed in irritably. Kampe looked as horrible as the last time they'd unfortunately met.

Everywhere she looked, Annabeth saw monsters that she and Percy had personally killed. Through the years she'd done her best to forget them; they'd obviously not forgotten her. _This really isn't good. _She turned back to Dr. Thorn, who was still leering at her. He'd said they all wanted vengeance, all monsters did eventually, but it didn't explain why they were all gathered together. As evil as they were, Annabeth couldn't see Dr. Thorn and Kampe sitting down for tea and discussing world domination together. Someone had gone and picked these monsters specifically; someone really wanted them to suffer.

"Achlys is your master isn't she?" Annabeth whispered. The temperature dropped lower at the mention of the primordial goddess. Her legs trembled, because that meant she was back in Tartarus, back in Hell.

"She is _not _our master," rattled a voice as smooth as silk. The blood in Annabeth's veins froze. Her eyes widened in fear and her pulse quickened; her heart was threatening to jump out of her chest. She took an involuntary step back until her back was pressed against one of the pillars. Arachne scuttled closer, her brown hair flopping into her coal black eyes. "She has simply offered us vengeance in exchange for our service."

"Service?" Annabeth squeaked when the immortal reached out and grabbed her chin tightly.

Arachne leaned in, her foul breath burning her eyes and nose. "If we bring her the son of Hades, we can destroy the rest of you brats. _You _were promised to me specifically, daughter of Athena." Her cruel eyes swept the length of her body before narrowing. "Your end will not come quickly. I will break you, piece by piece."

"That's enough Arachne," said Dr. Thorn sharply. The immortal weaver growled at him, but released Annabeth.

"How dare you use that tone with me? I am the best weaver that has ever lived! My name has thrived the generations-."

"You are no more than a cocky mortal that was turned into a hideous monster." Dr. Thorn drawled exasperatedly, as if he'd heard the rant before. He rolled his eyes at the spider's outraged howl. "Make yourself useful and bind the girl; the other brats are drawing near."

"Percy?" she gasped. _No, he can't be here! It's a trap! Why would he be here? _Her heart fell into her stomach. She couldn't fathom why the idiot would voluntarily venture into Tartarus again, not after what they'd been through. And to make matters worse, he was walking right into a horde of monsters ready to kill him. She had to warn him somehow; she had to escape.

As if reading her mind, Dr. Thorn flicked his tail, sending a poisonous spike flying at her. Before she could react she was slammed back, the weapon lodged in her gut. She couldn't hold back the pained scream as fire engulfed her. Black spots danced in front of her eyes, but she refused to pass out, not now. Despite her resolve however, she was helpless to stop Arachne from binding her wrists above her head to the pillar.

"I am going to enjoy your suffering. Now you can watch as the others destroy your boyfriend and Jason Grace." Arachne cackled wickedly before disappearing into the crowd below. Dr. Thorn shot her one last smirk before following his comrade.

Annabeth couldn't help but chuckle sadly. _Now you can watch as the others destroy your boyfriend and Jason Grace. _Achlys had certainly gathered a strong force to fight Percy and the others, but they obviously had no idea what they were in for. They had no idea they'd never touch a hair on Percy's head. They didn't know he belonged to the son of Hades.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Nico<strong>_

_You have to do this Nico, _he reminded himself. _It's the only way to save them. _

_**I will never let you fall**_

_**I'll stand up with you forever**_

_**I'll be there for you through it all**_

_**Even if saving you sends me to Heaven**_

Green eyes stared at him, pleading with him. "Nico, don't do this." His voice cracked at the end.

_**It's okay, it's okay, it's okay**_

_**'Cause you're my, you're my**_

_**You're my-y-y-y**_

_**My true love, my whole heart**_

_**Please don't throw that away**_

He blinked back tears and pulled Percy in close, and pressed his lips against his. He allowed the son of Poseidon to cling to him, if only for a moment.

_**'Cause I'm here for you**_

_**Please don't walk away**_

_**And please tell me, you'll stay**_

"I have to. You need to save Annabeth. Please Percy; trust me." Nico stepped out of the boy's arms.

_**Stay**_

He called to the shadows, the last of his energy ebbing out of him. They contorted just the right way, forming a veil around Percy and Jason. They were both white as a sheet, glaring at him. They were furious. They didn't like the plan at all. At least it would allow them to sneak in and get Annabeth undetected.

_**Use me as you will**_

_**Pull my strings just for a thrill**_

_**And I know, I'll be okay**_

_**Though my skies are turning gray**_

He opened his mouth to reassure them at least one last time, when he found himself being hoisted in the air by strong hands.

_**I will never let you fall**_

_**I'll stand up with you forever**_

_**I'll be there for you through it all**_

_**Even if saving you sends me to Heaven**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: okay, so I apologize for the extra-long wait between updates. I swear I'll finish this story before February! Ok, so I'm sure everyone wants to know what's going on with Rachel and the other demigods at the moment. Well, I've decided that after this story is complete I'm going to release a smaller story that explains everything that happens while the trio is in Tartarus. I may even add in a few things from the gods' point of views. Also, I'm going to go ahead and tell you that there will be an official sequel to this fanfiction, but I'm not sure when I'll start posting it. Anyway, I hope you all have a good holiday season! Please review<strong>

**P.S. The lyrics are from the song 'Your Guardian Angel' by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. This is one of the songs that this fanfiction is based around. The other is 'Safe' by Westlife. **


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